Croft and Son
by Shade Penn
Summary: AU. Lara can say she's a lot; an archeologist, an adventurer, and now she can add something else: Mom. A series of interconnected oneshots based on the idea of Lara being Nero's mother. Current oneshot: Goodbye is not the end, just another beginning.
1. Bring Your Kid To Work Day

For the past hour, Lara was locked in a staring match with her new mortal enemy. This one gave her more trouble than any before it (including going undercover into a cult on some island which worshipped a demon. She wasn't sorry to see that raving old madman being taken away). It sat there, innocent but she knew better. It mocked her, and she glared harder at the bright, colorful (_deceptively)_ cheery words in big letters.

**ATTENTION PARENTS  
IT'S TIME FOR OUR NEXT  
'BRING YOUR KID TO WORK DAY!'  
**We hope you'll participate and have the chance to  
show your child the joy and thrill of  
spending the day showing your son/daughter the fun of  
what job career you do and its highlights!

**Please note, child will be expected to write a report:  
One page, may be double-spaced  
Those unable to participate, school will  
proceed as usual**

Lara read the flyer so much she practically had it memorized. More than the words, she hated how much it felt when her son gave her the hand-out, trying not to show excitement - excitement at spending the day with _her_, not talking on the phone, or video chat or even email, but in her physical presence. It reminded her just how much being out in the world deprived him - and her - of being around each other.

Lara rubbed her brow, glaring again at the flyer. How could she deny him? How could she let him come with her? Far as he knew, his mother was a regular archeologist - not someone who went for the thrill and the hunt of finding something no one else could. _'Can I bring him into the study, just spend the day showing him artifacts. Maybe a trip to the museum?' _Time was short, and she couldn't find an answer. He might try to hide it, but her son was growing impatient. He never bothered holding back how he felt - he really wanted this.

'_And I'm trying to think of a way to tell him no.'_ More than anything, Lara cursed the school for putting her in this position. There was already an expedition underway she was supposed to be on, but had to delay it due to this. Then again, educating her son was what she paid the school tuition for. '_It's just one trip, and there'll be plenty more.'_ She didn't know how much time her son could wait on her. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of her own childhood; she loved her father dearly, but she wished she'd seen him more before...

Sighing deeply, Lara frowned. "You win this time." she muttered to the flyer, and made her way out of her study. The trip through the corridor was longer than it should have been, or were those her nerves? Her son confounded her in ways artifacts and books never did. She at least was able to crack the secrets to those in time.

Too soon though, she was standing in front of her son's room. Lara shook her head, and knocked on the door. There was a pause on the other side, before he called, "Come in."

Lara glanced around the room. It was messy, clothes strewn haphazardly in the hamper and spilling out of the dresser, bed unmade and toys spewing from their box and the video game console lying in front of the television. Posters taped to the walls, of some band she couldn't identify. He seemed to have picked up Sam's taste in music than her own. The only tidy area was the desk with his homework - no doubt already done - and the shelf beside it filled with books she'd buy him. Pictures were on top of it, of her, of her and him, of the two of them with Sam.

Lara finally rested her gaze on her son, who pulled the headphones from his ears and rest around his neck. He seemed to get older each time she saw him, or was it because it felt so long each time apart? A band-aid on his cheek from scrapping after falling off a skateboard. She wondered if it healed by now - scratches and scraps were doing that a lot with him lately. Re-focusing her attention, Lara sat beside her son, who watched her carefully. She wondered if he was breathing he was so still.

"I've read over the flyer, and I've decided that...you may come to work with me."

Nero's blue eyes lit up, his whole face illuminated that it made her heart clench. Any time she looked at him, she saw the man she spent a single night with, but now she saw her own reflection in that delighted expression.

Then his demeanor shifted, as if embarrassed and looked down, his voice tempered. "Oh, that's cool. Thanks, I guess." He might be her son, but he also picked up the American accent from Sam. Lara supposed it made sense, given Sam spent so much time with him before he could even talk.

Lara found herself smiling just a little, but tried to keep the sadness out of it. "Then be ready Friday morning, 9 am sharp. You'll be helping me document some of my findings."

Nero nodded, fiddling with the strings of his hoodie. "Yeah, I got it. I guess I wouldn't mind spending the day with you." Nine seemed to be a precarious age for him - old enough to start wanting his independence, but still young enough to crave her attention.

Lara raised a brow, and she couldn't resist planting a kiss on his forehead. Her son huffed, but his delayed reaction spoke for him before he grumbled and pushed her away. His white bangs fell over his eyes. He needed a haircut soon. Lara closed the door on her way out, but she paused as she heard the quiet clicking of a cell phone from inside.

"Hey, Sam, guess what? Mom said I could spend the day with her!"

And the joy in Nero's voice put a smile on Lara's face which lasted the entire day.


	2. Familial Bonds

**(Implied mature content, nothing explicitly said)**

* * *

"Mom, who's my father?"

Lara almost choked. Her twisted her lips to keep her drink from spitting out, or something equally undignified. She swallowed, and glanced at the clock over the counter. It was almost four in the afternoon, and still too early for that question. She'd gone nine years without Nero ever asking, or showing any interest. She set her cup down and looked at her son. "Why do you ask?"

Nero sat at the table, not looking at her or anything in particular. His gaze seemed to flicker around every few seconds. "It's just my teacher assigned us to do a project about our family tree, and then I heard everyone talking about theirs and..." he trailed off, his shoulders slumping.

Lara's expression softened as she took the seat next to him. It did seem like something weighed on his mind when he came home from school, but she didn't realize the magnitude of it. "Are you upset that you don't have a father?"

Her son looked at her, eyes widening. "What? No, no I'm not upset - I just - " he stopped, mouth turning into a pout, and Lara resisted pinching his cheek. "I have you, and Sam, and all the stories you told me about your parents that I'm just," he paused, before finally waving his hands as if unsure of what to say, "curious."

Lara scrutinized him for a long moment. She'd just gotten back from a site, and her bones ached more from the flight than the trouble she ran into. It was jarring to switch from high adrenaline to something which required tact. "I could hire someone to find him, and you could know all you wanted too about him."

Okay, maybe she needed to refine her definition of 'tact'. She'd have done it before now, but never felt inclined to do so. Lara found the best she was going to get from the man was sitting right beside her, staring at her with wide blue eyes.

"What?" Nero gaped, before his mouth shut with a 'click' of his jaw. "You'd do that for me?" he whispered.

Lara's gut twisted. Had she ever given him reason to doubt her? She tried not to answer that. Her gaze hardened, mouth firm. "I'd do anything for you." It didn't scare her, the words nor the intensity with which she said them. She'd be more than willing to back it up.

Nero smiled at her, and something felt right in the world again. "I don't need to meet him, I don't care if I ever do, but...can you tell me why you picked him?"

Well, that was certainly one way to look at it. Even more, how was she to condense something so loaded as a one-night-stand into an appropriate format so he didn't ask questions? Lara glanced at her drink on the counter, but remained seated.

'He just asked why, not what happened.' she reminded herself. A big difference that was. And honestly, what happened was something much too complicated to discuss with her son of all people. Sam might have gotten a good laugh out of the corny pick-up lines, the cringy attempts to flirt, all sounding like it came from a robot who was learning what human interaction was.

But no, it was too personal even to tell her best friend. Behind the abyssmal dialogue, there had a been a keen glint in the man's eyes, one which never changed throughout. He'd wanted information about the cult she'd been investigating, seemed to think she had it, and that attempting to seduce her was the way to get it.

As it so happened, Lara thought he had information too. It was perhaps the most passionless exchange she'd ever had, and left the next morning before he'd even woken up. She didn't even catch his name, but then again, she hadn't given hers.

"It was a business trip in Fortuna. He was handsome." Lara said at last. "And he had nice eyes." That much was true at least.

Nero sat up straighter. "Your eyes are prettier." he blurted, and ducked his head.

Lara chuckled softly, and reached over to ruffle his hair. "Did it get longer, or did you get Sam to take you somewhere other than to get your hair-cut?"

Her son shrugged, but his lips quirked into a small smile, a dimple forming in the corner. "We stopped for ice cream first, and missed our appointment."

Lara narrowed her eyes slightly. "Is that so? I'd better set another one then."

Nero couldn't seem to stifle the scowl which replaced the smile. "Sam already did it. We're going next week."

Stifling her chuckles, Lara rose from her seat. "With regards to your assignment, do you want to know more, or are you alright with what I told you?"

She caught Nero shifting in his seat from the corner of her eye, before he said, "I'm fine. I should have enough. I'll ask you before you have to leave if I have more questions."

Lara nodded. And during her time home, Nero had a lot to ask about his grandparents, about herself, their family's history. He never asked about his father again though, but just in case, Lara made sure to have someone on call if he ever decided to change his mind.

She meant what she said - anything for her son.


	3. How To Fail At Parenting

**(Decided to leave chapter as is, but I can add another part next time if anyone's interested. Just them dealing with nature though. Supernatural stuff's happening later)**

* * *

**Full Title: How To Fail At Parenting (but still trying anyway)**

"Tents?"

"Check."

"Satellite phone?"

"Check."

"Energy bars?"

"Check."

"What are you two doing?"

Lara paused in reading her list. She glanced from Nero to Sam, who was leaning against the doorway to the mansion. An amused expression on Sam's face as she stared up at the vehicle packed with camping equipment. "Being prepared. I don't want to leave anything important behind." Lara said.

Sam raised a brow. "It's a weekend camping trip, not a nature retreat."

"It's a very important camping trip then." Lara said reaffirmed. She tried to keep a neutral tone, to not let anything color her voice. Deep down, she was terrified like never before. She was going to be spending her son's birthday weekend out in the woods with no phones or entertainment or anything connecting them to civilization.

Her son wanted this though, to forget about no one coming to his tenth birthday party by spending the rest of it with his mother. Lara would have done it just to put the smile back on his face, even if she was concerned about messing everything up.

"You can still come with us." Nero piped in.

Sam grimaced, waving her hand. "Sorry, kid, but I don't mix well with nature. If you both change your minds though, you can join me at the spa resort."

Nero rolled his eyes. Sam was off the hook for skipping out - she managed to find him a signed copy of an album from his favorite band and a new stereo to play it on. Not for the first time, Lara wondered whether she was being played and Sam knew Nero wanted a camping trip before he asked.

It left a deeper ache in Lara's heart to think Nero was willing to tell Sam things he couldn't tell her. Or even felt he couldn't.

"I'm sure we'll do just fine outdoors." Lara finally said. Sam waved them off as she left, and Lara finished checking off the items for the trip.

* * *

"I'm bored." Nero groaned from the back of the car, slumping in his seat.

Lara's stomach dropped. Oh no. '_And it starts_.' She thought, and tried to come up with something to stave off the boredom. It..._was_ taking an awfully long time for backed up traffic to keep going, leaving the cars boxed in and going at a snail's pace. "Once we hit the countryside, the traffic should thin out. Why don't I put on some music?"

"No offense, Mom, but the music you like is boring." Nero said.

Lara tried very hard not to be offended, but she still turned up her nose. "You're welcome to try and find something you'd like then."

While Nero undid his seatbelt and leaned forward to begin fiddling with the radio, Lara peered through the window. The amount of cars still ahead was staggering, and she was beginning to get a cramp in her leg. Before long, she could imagine Nero might start whining about needing a restroom. Nero huffed, clicking off the radio and flopping back into his chair before fastening his seatbelt again.

"There's nothing on," he tugged the belt holding him in place, "and why can't I sit up front?"

"You're not old enough yet." Lara said, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. He stared back, something mutinous beginning to form in his eyes. "How is school going?"

Nero broke their staring contest first. "You already saw my report card. You tapped it to the fridge." his cheeks dusted pink.

Lara's lips quirked up just a little. "Yes, I know that, but I'm asking how you've _been_? Are you getting along with the other kids? What about any sports or after school activities? Are you making frie-" she caught herself in time. The lack of children at Nero's party said enough about _that_.

Nero still wouldn't look at her. His shoulders shrugged, and his tone was subdued. "I'm thinking about trying out for basketball or soccer-uh, football."

Lara said nothing about how he didn't answer the first question. Apparently she hadn't caught herself after all. "Really? That's wonderful. I'll help you pick out equipment when I have the time."

Nero just nodded, but didn't say anything else. Not even about the long wait before the traffic started going. Lara found she couldn't find anything to fill the silence either.

_'Way to mess that one up, Croft.'_

* * *

The second the car stopped, Nero climbed out of the vehicle. Lara followed suite, and stretched out her legs, regaining feeling after spending nearly two hours cramped in the car and mounting tension.

Nero breathed in deep, his gaze darting around the wide open area behind them, before looking ahead at the forest before them. "How far to hike until we reach the camp grounds?"

Lara smiled, taking what joy she could from her son speaking to her after the silence. He really did sound glad to be here. "Not far, the co-ordinates gave perhaps a twenty minute walk until we reach the camp."

Nero nodded, and Lara started unpacking the equipment from the top of the car. The smaller pack she let Nero carry, while Lara hefted the bigger one onto her back. "Is it too heavy?" he asked.

Lara laughed softly, shaking her head. "It's nothing compared to some of what I have to carry while I'm at work." Nero's brows knitted together, but Lara gestured to the path into the woods.

It turned out to take a bit longer than twenty minutes, perhaps more charitably about forty minutes at most. The forest was alive around them though, calm and serene with birds chirping and far off deer calls. Nero was gazing about, taking in everything.

"As long as you don't go off site, you can take pictures while I set up camp." Lara said. Nero smiled brightly at her, before he ducked his head and nodded.

Once they reached the cleared area for campers' use, Lara stifled the groan as she shed the extra weight off her back. She stretched out her arms, glancing at Nero as he set his bag down and dug through his pack for his camera. Lara smiled to herself. And he thought he wouldn't need a camera.

"Don't go too far." she called after him, and he waved at her as he rushed to the clearing line. Lara caught the first flash of the camera, and went about putting up the tents and separating to each their tents the clothes for the weekend and blankets before making the fire pit. With another glance at Nero, Lara went to find a river nearby to scoop up water to put out the fire.

When she got back to the camp, Lara froze. She scanned the area, and dropped the bucket as she dashed to her son's tent. He wasn't inside, he wasn't in the _camp_. "Nero? Nero!" she called. Her heart pounded as she scanned the tree line and her mind went into hyper drive. Where was he? Had something happ-

A twig snapped, and Lara whirled in the direction behind her, looking beyond her tent. Nero blinked, coming back into camp. "Yeah? What's wrong?"

Lara's heart didn't stop thumping, and she rushed up to him. He went stiff as she grabbed his arms. "What were thinking? I told you not to leave camp!"

Nero stared at her, eyes blown wide as the camera fell from his slack grip. Ice trickled down Lara's spine at the fear in his eyes. She'd seen plenty of people gaze at her that way, but she never thought her son would be one of them.

Lara released him immediately, and she winced as he did. She'd gripped too tight. "I was - I was worried something happened to you." she said stiltedly. "Just - I - I'll get dinner ready."

Nero scampered by her, head ducked even lower. When he went into his tent, he didn't come back out for the rest of the evening. Even calling for him to eat hadn't worked.

So Lara ate alone, staring into the fire before glancing at the camera sitting on the log beside her. She exhaled deeply. '_Some great start this is turning out to be.'_

* * *

Lara woke up before dawn. It was nothing new, she was having trouble sleeping anyway. Usually though, those troubles were about an expedition, how her son was doing at home, or what new danger she might be facing. Now, she was so out of her depth that it left her reeling about what to do next.

At home, the awkwardness of any interactions with Nero could be left between the periods they were in the same room together or moments spent speaking. Out here, it became so painfully obvious with how unsure she was. The fact she freaked out over such a small thing worried her, that she made her son _scared_ of her.

Lara rubbed her brow and got dressed, ideas of how to go about fixing this swimming in her head. It made her want to ask Sam what she did when Nero disobeyed her, and the thought knocked the breath from her. Her best friend probably knew how to parent her son better than she did.

Lara's chest ached, and she slipped out of her tent quietly. She squinted at the skyline, dawn just on the horizon. Her gaze was drawn to the rustling brush deeper in the forest. She tensed, but relaxed only slightly when a deer came out, trying for a better angle to nibble on the leaves and berries.

Glancing at her son's tent, Lara retrieved the camera from her own tent, and crept as quietly as she could to the animal. It's ear swiveled in her direction, and she was sure the flash would have sent it running even if her approach hadn't spooked it. Checking the picture, she found the image only slightly blurred from the deer already turning away. It would do though, and she got started on breakfast.

Nero missed dinner last night, so it wasn't really surprising he decided that hunger outweighed the awkwardness of being around her. Lara's chest tightened still when he sat away from her, and avoiding looking in her direction.

Taking a deep breath, Lara brought him a plate, and the camera. She caught him staring at the camera with confusion. "I shouldn't have gotten angry with you." she said softly, and Nero tensed up. "I should have told you why I didn't want you going off alone. There are no predators like bears or wolves in England anymore, but...it can still be dangerous out here. Snakes, rabid animals, even the herbivores can be vicious."

For all his insistence for space and pretending not to enjoy her attention, Nero grew up with all the comfort and safety Lara could provide for him. Nero clicked on the camera, and he paused at seeing the photo she took.

"If you wanted to go take pictures deeper in the forest, you just needed to ask." Lara added.

A silence stretched so long between them, before Nero said quietly, "You mean that?"

Lara's heart ached. Had she truly been so frightening to him yesterday? "Of course." she replied, and turned her gaze to the fire pit. "I'm so used to people being afraid of me, but I never...I never wanted for _you _to be afraid of me. I'm sorry."

Time ticked by, and Lara wondered if her breakfast was getting colder by the second. Finally though, the tightness in her chest unwound as Nero shuffled closer to her.

"I'm sorry too. I was just so excited to be here that I...didn't realize what I was doing." he mumbled. He glanced at her with a cautious sort of hope. "Can we go hiking after breakfast?"

Lara smiled as gently as she could. "We most certainly can."


	4. Baggage? No Baggage Here

**(Lara/Sam If you squint, but only because Nero's a shipper for them)**

* * *

Lara wasn't sure how to approach this subject, but she figured over dinner was the best time. "You know, I was thinking perhaps we could go out for dinner next week."

Nero's nose wrinkled, more so than when he looked at his green vegetables. "Will I have to wear a suit?" Lara nodded, and Nero groaned. "They make me look so dorky though; isn't a school uniform bad enough?"

"I happen to think you look very cute in them." Lara said primly. Nero's lower lip jutted out, and she smiled a little. "And this is...a bit of a special occassion. You see, I've begun seeing someone recently and before it gets serious I want you to meet him."

Nero stilled in his seat, and he slumped down. "So it's not Sam?"

Lara's cheeks reddened. Why did he always ask that whenever she managed to bring up her scant dating life? "No, it's not." she said, not for the first time. She was sure this wasn't going to stop being the last either. "I think you'll like him; his name's David and he's a curator at the natural history museum, and he has a rather extensive library collection."

"You already have a lot of books I can read." Nero muttered.

"There may be something you can talk about." Lara replied. "Please, just try, for me?"

Nero held out for a long time, before he huffed and frowned. "Alright, but only because it's you."

* * *

Nero waited until well after dinner and when he was in his room before he called Sam. "Did you know Mom was seeing someone?"

Sam snorted. "Hello to you too." she quipped. "I take it from your tone she told you about David?"

Nero scowled. "Traitor, you did know." he flopped back onto his bed, glaring up at the ceiling. "She wants me to _meet him_."

"Who knows, maybe you'll get along with this one." Sam said.

Nero frowned deeply. This man wasn't the first guy his mother dated, but rarely it got far enough before Lara wanted to introduce him to whatever boyfriend she had. It eluded him why his mother didn't get together with Sam; she practically lived here anyway, and Nero liked her a lot more than any man his mother went out with..

If he was called 'sport' one more time...

"David, what kind of name is that? He sounds boring, working in a museum. He's probably stuffy and uptight." Nero grumbled.

"You know, your mom does do work in a museum from time to time." Sam said, amused.

Nero flushed, and glowered at the ceiling. "Mom's not boring, she's cool." he paused. "Don't tell her I said that."

Sam chuckled. "My lips are sealed."

Nero relaxed slightly, and rolled over onto his stomach. "I told Mom I didn't care about having a father."

"Ah, I see where this is going." Sam replied, and she sighed. "Don't think of it as Lara trying to give you a dad, think of it like her wanting you to be okay with this. You want your mom to be happy too, right?"

"I thought she was happy with us - with me." Nero murmured. He rested his chin on the mattress, frowning.

"She adores you, the fact she never lets just any guy meet you proves it." Sam said.

Nero didn't doubt it. His mother was away on work often, but she once dropped everything to rush home after he got chicken pox to take care of him. "Have you met him?"

"No, but he seemed fine from the way Lara described him." The woman replied. "Just between you and me, he probably will be stuffy."

Nero snickered. "I guess I can put up with this for now."

"'Atta boy!"

Nero groaned, burying his face in his arm and hung up before Sam could embarrass him further.

* * *

Lara decided not to coo over how her son looked in his tux. She allowed liberties, such as foregoing the bow tie and that he could leave his cuffs undone but had to fasten them when they arrived at the restaurant. His hair was the biggest thing though - she slicked it back with her hand, but decided it looked better down. Nero seemed just as pleased he didn't have to fix his hair.

"You're not going to start taking pictures, are you?" Nero grumbled.

"There's an idea..." Lara trailed off, and Nero looked horrified. She smiled and ruffled his white locks. "Try not to eat too much for dessert, I don't want you throwing it up afterwards."

Nero grumbled under his breath. "It was one time, and it was for the school bake sale." he crossed his arms. "If it we weren't supposed to eat so much they should have told us."

Lara shook her head. The chauffeur informed them of their imminent arrival to their destination, and Lara buttoned Nero's cufflinks as the vehicle slowed to a halt. The door opened and she slipped out of the car, Nero following after her. Lara felt his hand grab hers, but he ducked his head when glanced at him, and he crossed his arms.

"Where is he then?" he grumbled.

"He will be meeting us inside." Lara said, and ushered him to the entrance of the establishment. She placed a hand on Nero's shoulder when they stepped up to the host's podium. "Reservation under 'Croft'."

The host smiled warmly and gestured to the dining area. "Yes, right this way."

Nero glanced at everything around them. He had been in a restaurant before, but this one was different than their usual spot. For one, there was a skylight in the center of the room and a fountain underneath it. He peered into the pond, and blinked as small fish were swimming about inside.

"This place is fancy." he muttered. Lara smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

The host stopped at a round table big enough for three or more. "Please, have a seat, and your waiter will be with you shortly."

"Thank you." Lara said, and Nero took the seat beside her, immediately grabbing the menu and giving it a cursory glance. "Anything you'd like to try first?"

"I don't see soda listed." he mumbled. "So I guess I'll just drink tea." he paused, and glanced to the empty spot on the table. "Do they give out the free bread here too?"

Lara raised a brow. "I'm sure they will, don't worry." She swore he'd eat nothing but bread if she let him. At least it meant it was easy feeding him when she was too tired to cook.

Nero smiled, but it dropped and he buried his nose into the menu.

"Hello, Lara." David said before she turned in her seat. She smiled and let him kiss the back of her hand. His gaze flickered to Nero. "And this is your son...Nero, correct?" she nodded, and David took his seat. "Named him after the Roman emperor?"

"In part." Lara admitted. In truth, she gave birth to Nero while in Rome and it was night out; she was too drained and exhausted to come up with something else. "I'm quite fond of short names." she caught Nero's shoulders shake a little, but he was likely stifling his laughter.

David nodded, though his smile became a bit strained. He picked up his menu and skimmed through it. "I've heard the duck here is superb."

"I'll have to try it." Lara replied idly. Only when the waiter stopped by with the bread rolls and orders for beverages, did Lara decide to gauge how awkward this was going to be. "I need to step out for a moment, I'll be right back."

* * *

Nero's stomach grumbled and he grabbed a warm bread roll. He glanced at his mother's empty seat, and then at David. He tried not to scowl at him, reminding himself to try. "You..are a curator?"

David nodded, though he seemed just as uncomfortable. "Yes, I'm in charge of the ancient relics division in the museum." his eyes flickered to Nero's hair. "I'm...quite surprised you were allowed to dye your hair so early."

Nero couldn't stop the glower from forming. It wasn't 'sport', but the remarks about his hair were just as annoying. "It's not dyed, it's natural." He didn't even know the man who sired him and hated him for the hair alone.

"Is that so? Whoever your father is must have had a genetic mutation."

_Whoever_. Something about the word set Nero on edge, his teeth grinding together. "I don't know anything about that." he muttered.

"Lara said you were smart, but I'm certain any parent would say such things about their child." David replied curtly.

Nero's hands balled into fists under the table. He wanted to kick him. Kick him so much, but that would make a scene, and his mother would be upset. "My mom told you about me and you didn't run the other way?" He wasn't naive, much as Sam and his mother thought. Ignorant, maybe.

David shrugged slightly. "I didn't see much in doing so. Everyone comes with their own baggage."

Nero jerked his legs under his chair, or he really might just ruin the evening.

* * *

When Lara returned to the table, everything _seemed_ normal and there were no dirty looks thrown their way. So, no one had caused a scene, that was a good sign, right? She picked up the tea which arrived. "I hope you two are getting along." she ventured to say.

David smiled. "We haven't gotten on each other's nerves."

Nero nodded, his returning smile rather sharp. "That's right." he said, but glanced back at the table.

Lara kept an eye on her son. She wasn't sure whether he was just unsure of how to interact with David, or he was just avoiding saying something awkward. Perhaps unintentional, the rest of the dinner turned out to be a bit strained. By the end of it, it was as though no one really talked much at all.

David escorted them to the car outside, and Nero climbed in without a word back and slammed the door shut. The man smiled, but it was sheepish. "I take it we could all use a break after this awkward night."

Lara resisted wincing. So it hadn't just been her who noticed. "We can try again some other night. I hope you and Nero got along...at least a little."

"It could have been worse." David replied. "He was a bit touchy about his hair though."

Lara nodded. "Children at school teased him about it quite a bit."

"Yes, well, I suppose he'll be able to tough it out when he's at boarding school."

Lara went still, the half-formed smile on her lips freezing. "Come again?"

David blinked. "You are sending him away for school, aren't you? I thought we might be able to have a more formative relationship with no...distractions. And the boy could certainly use a refresher on how to speak proper English."

It took a moment for Lara to fully absorb what was being said, unsaid, and for her to read between the lines. Her blood boiled, but she managed to keep her voice calm. "My son speaks just fine, and the only time I expect him to leave me is for university - and if anyone thinks distancing my son from me will change anything, they are severely mistaken. Nero is my number one priority."

"Aren't you being a bit...coddling? How can your son grow up if you're trying to smother him?" David questioned.

Lara kept an even tighter hold on the anger simmering to its peak. "I had thought you were a gentleman who could understand the responsibility I have to my family. I think any other meeting we have will have to take a raincheck. Forever. Good night, _sir_."

With that, Lara climbed into the car. Her hands were balled into fists on her knees, and she wasn't sure whether the car was shaking or she was. She caught Nero eyeing her warily, and her stomach sank. "You heard all that, didn't you?"

Nero bit his lip, and nodded. "You mean it though? You'd never send me away? Not...not even for your boyfriend?"

Lara wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "No one who could even suggest such a thing doesn't deserve to be with us. If they can't accept you, it would never work out."

"So, does this mean you'll be with Sam then?" Nero asked, smiling cheekily.

Lara rolled her eyes. Of course that would be what he got from this.


	5. It's Not An Infection

**(Minor swearing, because Nero's starting to get the crude language he had in canon. )**

* * *

Lara's breath caught, and she leaned over the bed, fingers brushing Nero's hair as his face scrunched, blinking slowly. "Hello, sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

Nero's nose wrinkled. "Can't...feel my...arm. Real tired." he said, a slurring in his voice. He blinked again, and glanced down. His eyes widened once he caught sight of his cast. "Wha...oh." It seemed the event which led to his arm breaking caused him to wince.

Lara rested her forehead against his, relief washing through her. She was sure her heart had stopped for a few moments when she got a call from the hospital, telling her Nero had been admitted for a broken arm and fractured shoulder. '_The one time he gets invited to something and this happens._' she thought. She regretted letting him attend his classmate's birthday.

"'M fine." Nero mumbled.

Lara laughed, though it was choked and grating. "That's the sedative talking. You'll start feeling worse once it wears off."

Nero frowned, but then he seemed lucid enough to be nervous. "Don't be mad." he whispered. "It was my own fault. I wasn't paying attention to what the instructor said, and I..." he trailed off, because the rest was obvious. He was the hospital after all.

Lara had every intention of giving those who should have been watching the kids a piece of her mind, but Sam wouldn't let her leave Nero's side. It gave her time to cool down, or she would have definitely caused some scene for the newspapers. "The doctor said I could take you home once the sedative wore off."

Nero nodded, and tried to smile but it came out like a grimace. "As least it was my right arm, huh? Didn't mess up my writing hand."

Lara let out a short huff. She shook her head. "Don't joke about that. Here I am worried you're going to get hurt riding around on those skateboards or during football practice, and you somehow end up at a recreational center with a rock climbing wall of all things."

Nero snorted. "I like taking risks."

"Clearly." Lara said, eyeing the cast. Her heart only now stop beating like it wanted to jump out of her ribcage. She'd have wondered where he got this wildness from, but the answer was all too obvious. '_Like mother, like son._'

"So..." Nero began, tilting his head. "Now that the mushiness is out of the way, do I still have to go to school?"

Lara rolled her eyes. Nero was thirteen now, but he could still act childish sometimes. "You said it yourself, your dominant hand is okay." she paused, and ruffled his hair. "Although, I don't see why you can't stay home until we're certain there is no adverse effects from the sedative."

Nero beamed at her.

* * *

The weather was a bit stifling, and Lara wiped her brow as the video chat turned on. She glanced back out her tent at the crew settling down for the night. Lara smiled at Nero on the other side of call. "Hello, Nero, how is your arm doing?"

Nero rubbed his shoulder, but stopped himself. "It's doing...okay." he mumbled. "Doesn't hurt anymore."

"Sam?" Lara called, and the woman appeared from the corner of the screen. "Did the doctor say anything." Nero slumped in his chair.

"Said there was a bit discoloration on the area surrounding the part where the cast stopped, but that it was likely cause by the fall he took. Some bruises can take time to form." she replied. "The cast should be ready to come off in about another three weeks, maybe two at the most."

Lara smiled. Nero always did heal a bit faster. "That's good to hear. I should be back by then, and we can all go out to celebrate."

Nero hesitated, before smiling back at her. "Y-yeah, sounds great."

* * *

The harsh glow of her buzzing phone pulled Lara from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes and blinked, before wincing at the light. '_This better be important_.' she thought, but she was on alert once she saw Sam's name. "What happened?"

"_It's Nero - ah, what I mean is, he's acting kinda...weird."_

Lara furrowed her brow, sitting up in her cot. She wasn't sure if she should be woried or not. "Weird, how? Did he get the cast off already?"

"_No, the cast is still there, but...I caught him earlier trying to cancel the appointment."_

Lara's back straightened. That _was_ worrying. "Did you ask why?"

Sam huffed. "_Of course I did, but he got so edgy about it. And it wasn't just that, last night he was checking his shoulder, and he freaked when I asked how it was. Totally ignored me the rest of the night and went to bed early._"

"Perhaps he's self-conscious. I'll talk to him on our chat tomorrow."

_"Great. Maybe he'll talk to you about what's wrong."_

* * *

Nero seemed..._off_. Lara wasn't immediately sure what the exact problem was, but he was hunched in a baggy hoodie. "Hi." he murmured.

Lara had to assume it was puberty. At least until she could be sure. "How is your arm?"

Nero's eyes widened a fraction, before he shrank tight in on himself. "It's fine." he muttered.

"Are you sure? Sam told me you were cagey about it, and that you tried to cancel the appointment to have the cast removed." Lara replied.

Nero scowled. "Of course Sam told you." he huffed. "It was nothing, I was just trying to order take-out."

'_Take-out, really?_' Lara thought, knitting her brows. "Are you sure? You're not feeling...any other effects from the fall? I know that it must not have been easy - "

"Mom, I'm fine!" Nero snapped. His eyes blazed blue, before his whole face dimmed and he clutched his arm. "I'm sorry. I-I have to go, I just remembered I needed to finish an assingment."

"Nero?" Lara called, worried. "I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong." she said. Nero reached for disconnect button. "Nero!"

Her son stiffened, before he glanced at his arm. "I really have to go."

Lara's stomach sank as the video chat was closed. She exhaled deeply, rubbing her hands over her face. She's been lost and unsure of how to be a parent, but nothing prepared her for a moody teenager.

Especially since she was sure puberty had nothing to do with it.

* * *

Being back home, after a long expedition, was a relief. Or would have been, if worry wasn't gnawing at her every time she thought about Nero. He'd refused to speak to her over a chat, or email her, and Sam couldn't even get him on the phone with her. Lara almost broke every speeding law to get back to the mansion.

She glanced around the foyer, wiping her brow. Footsteps rushed down the hall, and Sam came sprinting up. "What's wrong?" she asked immediately.

"After you called to say you were coming home, I thought telling Nero would help." Sam said, and bit her lip. "Instead he's been locked up in your study and won't come out. I tried to find the skeleton and room key, but he must have taken those too."

Lara's muscles ached and she was tired after such long flight, but it all paled in comparison to this moment. What was happening? Her resolve hardened. "I'll handle it. I know another way in."

Sam exhaled, relieved. "Just don't tell me you're going to scale the wall."

Lara decided not to. Instead, she reaffirmed an assurance, and hurried back out the door. She found the spot closest to the window to her study, marking the path to it. Breathing in deeply, Lara set her foot on the alcove, and lifted herself up to grab the ledge over the first story window. Her arms strained to reach.

She wasn't a young girl anymore, and so the ledges were a bit more precarious than exploring the roofs and scaling walls as a child. At least with the experience she had climbing cliffs, she would hopefully not fall and break something of her own.

The bricks and cement under her hands and boots was firm, familiar as she made her way along the ledge. She kept her eye on the window getting closer, glancing down to the pathway there. Lara avoided glancing any further down than the ledge. It was windy, and she shook her head, sending the flyaway strands of hair from her face, and leaned to the window latch.

It clicked, and Lara exhaled once she was inside. She paused when she found that her study was the same as she left it. Where was Nero? From the corner of her eye, Lara's eyes widened when she spotted the casting shredded and the letter opener lying beside it. And...were those scales?

Lara knelt beside the remains, and picked one of them up. It was a deep red, textured almost like a lizards. '_Is...Nero hiding a pet? Is that why he's so moody lately?_' Beneath the scales and casting, she found five deep scratches. '_Claw marks?_' Was Nero's pet loose? The rustling from the library section caused Lara to turn, and she glimpsed the flash of white pulling deeper behind the book cases. "Nero, sweetheart, please, come out?"

Her son didn't respond right away, but when he did, his voice cracked. "No, just leave, Mom. I don't want you to see."

Lara's brow furrowed, but she realized that whatever caused the scales and markings, wasn't a pet. "Nero, I'm not mad, or upset. Please, just tell me what's going on." she spotted her son through an opening between books, head low as he moved back.

"Y-you'll _get_ mad though. And you'll think I'm a freak!" Nero's voice shook, thick with emotion.

Lara's insides twisted. She came to the edge of the book case, and her foot kicked an open book. It was a medical text, as were the others on the floor. More than that, she saw not only her journals from the Yamatai incident, but also notes and journals she'd taken from the lab underneath Fortuna.

Lara's gaze finally settled on Nero, and she wondered why he was looking for information about demons. "Nero?"

Her son huddled in the corner, right arm pulled almost behind his back, face paler than usual and eyes wide with fear. He pulled his right sleeve down, over his arm further. "No, don't come any closer. You shouldn't be here."

"This is my study." Lara said.

Nero winced. "You can't see me like this, I-I'm a freak!"

Lara ignored the warning, and stepped closer. If he could, Nero would have looked ready to be swallowed up by the wall. "Nero, please, tell me what's wrong. I'm your mother, and I know I haven't always been -"

Nero's eyes squeezed shut. "Something happened to my arm!" he shouted, and Lara went silent. Nero's chest heaved with his heavy breathing, face scrunching. "Th-that discoloration the doctor thought were bruises? ...They weren't. I thought maybe it-it was an infection, got messed up somehow. N-no one can see it, or-or they'll think there's something wrong with me, with you! That you gave birth to a monster."

Lara stared at him, unsure of what to make of what he was saying. She glanced at the books strewn on the floor again. "Is this why you've been this way? Nero, I'm sure whatever's wrong we can get through it."

Nero's eyes blazed again, and he thrust his right arm out. "And you think _this_ is something I can just get through?!"

Lara was rendered silent as she stared at her son's arm. The hand was covered in the dark red textured scales like the ones on the floor, ending in sharp claws on his fingers. Lines of faint glowing light veined through it, and Lara could guess it went all along the arm from the bumps in his sleeve . It was...certainly a shock, no denying that, but Lara had seen and experienced things just as shocking.

Before whatever bravado Nero put up fell, Lara closed the space between them. She wrapped her arms around him and held him in a tight embrace. He froze completely, eyes wide and shocked. It didn't take long for Nero to start struggling, fear and uncertainty so visible on his face it made Lara's heart ache.

Not because he was scared of her, but because he was scared of her _reaction_.

Lara leaned down, resting her chin on the top of his head. "It's okay," she whispered, "no matter what's happening, I'll make sure everything's okay."

Nero shook, and something he'd deny being a sob rippled through him. "How can you say that? How can you know?" his voice dropped. "How can you not think I'm a demon when my arm looks like something out of hell itself."

Lara carefully considered her response. One wrong thing and her son could close off completely. She took a breath to steady herself, and lifted her hands to rest gently on Nero's shoulders, staring him straight in the eye. "One; don't swear like that again."

Nero managed to snort. "Like every kid at my school doesn't get away with calling me a bastard."

Lara gave him a stern look. "_Second _;you are not a monster. Get that idea out of your head." Nero's brow knitted, and Lara added, "Besides, if this reaction came about so unexpectedly, it must be something in your blood. And last I checked, I'm still your mother."

Her son stiffened, eyes hard. "You could never be a monster."

Lara knew several dead people who might disagree with that. "I'm so glad to hear you say that." she said it dryly, but deep down, it was an immense relief. She pointedly placed her hand on Nero's demonic arm, before grabbing his hand. He tensed up, but eased and relaxed just a little. "I'll do whatever I can to help you."

Nero appeared nervous, gaze flickering around before he said, "I think...I think we need to find out about my father."

Lara nodded. "Yes, I still have my contact on call. I don't know what answers we'll get, but I can say this," she paused for effect, and Nero furrowed his brow, "at least you're not ill; you _are_ a monster when that happens."

Nero stared at her, eyes wide. A beat too long, and Lara wondered if she stepped over a line. Then Nero gently squeezed her hand, and his lips twitched before he burst out laughing. "That was terrible. You're not very good at making jokes."

Lara's shoulders relaxed, relief sweeping through her. "Then I'll leave the jokes to you and Sam." She tugged Nero with her out from behind the book case, and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. She didn't miss how Nero tensed at the mention of Sam. "If you think Sam is going to reject you just because your arm, ah, is a bit different now - clearly you think she's made of more fragile stuff."

Nero was silent a moment again, before wrapping his arm back around her. "I hope she can accept me still."

Lara patted his shoulder. "I'm sure she will. You'll just need to apologize for worrying her." She gestured to the casting. "Now explain that. Why take it off early?"

Nero winced. "I realized whatever this arm is caused my break to heal faster, and I kinda needed to see how much changed. The scales just kinda fell off. Didn't really help in not freaking me out more."

Lara nodded. She'd clean it up later, do a lot later. She was no illusion that things were different now. Perhaps not in ways that matter - she, for one, would never think badly of her son - but answers were needed, and then Nero could learn to deal with this in his own time.

And Lara would be there with him every step of the way.


	6. Wolf And Cub

**(Direct Follow-up to It's Not An Infection)**

* * *

**Fortuna, 13 years ago**

_Lara's heart pounded so hard, she thought it might burst forth. She couldn't believe everything what happened on this island. She investigated a cult, but found so much more than the surface known to everyone, just beneath their feet. Then again, what did she expect given that? She paced in her room, still remembering the swarming army storming the city and taking into custody the instigators of this cult - or at least the higher-ups._

_Lara made sure to keep low, stay out of the way because the citizens were still bewildered and suspicious about what was going on - a riot could break out at any minute and Lara needed to be ready to leave. Her hand found her stomach, a strange thrill having nothing to do with adrenaline rushing down her spine. She thought it was the flu, or some bug going around._

_The truth was still sinking in, even though each day the symptoms began making themselves known. She could really have done without the morning sickness._

* * *

The box was a long rectangle, secured with several locks and gold clasps. Lara signed off on the relic earlier, and she could finally get a look at this mysterious item. A broken katana, found on some Mallet Island in the years before. There was a minor kerfuffle over an incident which happened there. Museums tried to put a date and era to the sword, but a string of deaths always caused it to switch places. Rumor spread that it was cursed, attracted monsters - demons.

Lara had the relic for almost a day and nothing happened yet, though she would not dare tempt fate. Not when all manner of supernatural and superstition was turning out to be less than fabricated. She had enough to deal with anyway, so far there was no response her contact sent out regarding Nero's father.

Almost two days since that, and she rubbed her brow. She moved the box to the empty table, cleared for examining the blade. A small trolley was beside it, and she pulled on her latex gloves.

She opened the box, and paused as she glanced around the empty room. Nope, nothing. Except the katana split in two, lying in protective material.

Well, time to get to work.

* * *

Not for the first time, Nero almost stumbled on his skateboard. He cursed under his breath, right arm covered by not only a long sleeve over his hand, but a medical sling. The official story to the school was the break hadn't set right, and needed to be kept steady. Nero was just glad he didn't have to look at it. His mother and Sam still accepting him was great and all, but his stomach rolled when he had to see his arm.

He didn't even know his father and already he was screwing up his life.

Getting used to the sling left him off-balance, and this was the third time he almost fell off his board. He adjusted his helmet, because his mother might kill him if he went without it. He gritted his teeth, but coming up to the corner of the street he had to pull back on the board, to stop from hitting the motorcycle which came up to the curb.

Nero's brows furrowed, the woman on the bike was staring straight ahead, dark hair cut short round her face. Something off was strapped to her back, like a long barrel. "Hey," he said in realization, "you can't ride a motorbike without a helmet."

The woman gazed at him, and Nero blinked at the sight of the scar on her nose, one eye reddish, the other blue-green. She raised a brow. "You mean so I can look as fashionable as your helmet hair will be?"

Nero bristled. "What did you say?!" he fumed, and the woman laughing only egged him on as the engine of her motorcycle revved, taking off. Nero scowled and crossed the street, grumbling under his breath as he continued on to the museum.

Sam could have signed his permission slip for the upcoming school trip, but Nero wanted to visit his mother at the museum. Crossing in front of an alleyway, Nero winced as through the sleeve, his demon arm glowed. Great, just another weird thing which he didn't understand.

* * *

Lara glanced up at the light. It flickered. She sighed. '_Well, it looks like it'll need to be changed soon._' Just as well, these lights were a bit too harsh, and made it hard to find more minute details. The door clacked, and Lara glanced up again - she straightened when she saw Nero's head of hair peeking around the corner. "What are you doing here? It's almost 5." And well beyond closing time.

Nero shrugged as he set his skateboard against the wall. "The security guard let me in, and I wanted you to sign my permission slip." he said, trying not to seem bashful.

Lara found herself smiling, but reframed from ruffling his hair with her gloves still on. "Alright, I'll finish up with this and we can pick up dinner."

Nero beamed, and came up to the other side of the table. He eyed the katana, its shattered blades glinting. "Where'd this come from?"

"It was excavated from Mallet Island, found among the rubble. Despite its current state, it's in remarkable condition." Lara explained.

Nero nodded, tilting his head. "Still looks new, how old is it?"

That was a tricky queston to answer. "The report says the blade is at least two thousand years old, but it's been tested to be incredibly sharp still. The blade hadn't dulled with age, and there's no trace of decay anywhere."

Her son hummed, his mouth tugging to one side. "Maybe it's a magic sword."

Lara chuckled at how serious he was. "Anything's possible." she said lightly. She glanced up at the ceiling, all the lights flickering now. "Let me put this away before we're left in the dark. What do you want for supper?"

Nero tilted his head up, glancing at the ceiling as well. "How about -" A scream cut him off, somewhere down the hall. He jumped, whirling around as several gunshots fired off. With a good look now, Lara saw a bright glow from his right arm through Nero's sleeve.

The thought of the rumors, the deaths surrounding the sword - Lara tossed the gloves off and pulled Nero by the shoulder with her to the office, locking it behind her. It was for use to any who used the lab, and Lara made sure to keep her extra supplies locked up tight in the safe.

Nero gaped at her as she opened the vault behind the picture by the desk, and his eyes widened as she brought out a gun. "You keep that in your office?"

"It's not my office, and one can never be too careful." Lara replied. She made sure it was loaded before picking up the phone. She stopped short when the dial tone went dead. Along with the lights.

Darkness bathed the room, the only bit of light the dimness from the signs above the door in the lab and hall for emergencies, and the glow on Nero's arm. It washed over his face, fear and uncertainty, eyes flickering to the door. What was going on?

A myriad of things went through Lara's mind, but she dug into the vault. Her fingers searched through the dark, and found the strap on her bag. She tugged it out, and gestured for him to get down. He did so, gaze locked on her. Lara took out a flashlight, and an extra gun she rested in her belt. More weapons were in her bag, but she didn't want to use them. Too much noise could attract unwanted attention.

Lara breathed in deep, her blood rushing through her ears. If she were alone, running from whoever thought to intrude on her work would pay, not send her fleeing. But she wasn't. Lara leaned forward, placing her hands on Nero's shoulders in comfort. "There's an emergency exit in the next hall. We have to be quiet, do you understand?"

Nero's eyes were still wide. He looked just as scared as he had when she saw his arm. "Mom, what's happening?"

Lara wasn't sure how to respond. She breathed in deeply. "I'm not sure. It could be thieves, after the sword perhaps."

Nero's gaze flickered to the door. "T-the guard -" he stopped himself, swallowing. He didn't finish, and Lara squeezed his shoulder, bringing his attention back to her.

Her eyes were hard and fierce. "_Nothing_ will happen to you." Nero stared at her for a moment, before his mouth set in a firm line and he nodded. Lara nodded back, and tugged him to the door.

The lock didn't click, thank god, and Lara slowly opened it. She gazed at the door to the lab, no rustling of the flap or shadows flickering in the light through the window. They just needed to get to the end of the hall, and there around in the corner was their way out.

Lara ducked to the table, Nero on her heels and he stays low, copying her. She paused almost every time to listen for sounds outside. Finally reaching the door, she peered through the glass, and Lara shined the flashlight in the immediate vacinity. Nothing. A dark flicker shot past the end of the hall. Lara killed the light, her spine tingling. '_What was that_?' she thought, but after a moment, Lara pushed the flap open.

Slowly, because this door creaked when swung too fast. Lara held the door open for Nero to slip out and take the flashlight, before she gently closed it after him. Lara's lungs thirsted for air, but her eyes remained trained on the hall, for any other sign of something amiss. Nero stuck close to her, keeping quiet, but once they reached the end, he let out a quiet gasp.

Lara lifted her hand to cover Nero's eyes, but she knew it was too late. They both saw the body laid out on the ground, the security guard, and shell casings scattered around him. What made Lara's stomach roll were the sight of three..._creatures_ on the body, over it, the sounds of tearing flesh as they ate the corpse.

Were it not for the dread in her stomach, and the weight of the gun in her hand, she wouldn't have thought this could be real, that this was happening. The _things_ seemed to be made of wispy black smoke, like the shadows on the walls, feline in appearance but Lara couldn't be sure.

There were three, and didn't appear to notice them. Lara closed her eyes for a moment, and glanced around the corner - before finding the face of another monster right there. Lara stared, just for a second, and the sight of its maw opening caused Lara to act. She fired pointblank into the opening.

The monster screeched, blown back by the force and the shot echoed in Lara's ears. There went subtlety, and her heart sank when the feline only shook itself and snarled. Another three appeared behind it - _from_ the shadows.

"Back to the lab!" Lara pushed Nero, and he went running. Lara pulled the shotgun from her bag, and fired a round of bullets at the creatures closest.

Giving them time. Lara got into the lab, and hit the emergency lock. She jumped back as several thuds slammed into the metal. It didn't give, but the fact it dented sent a shot of alarm through her.

Lara scanned the room, focusing on the table. "Help me move this, we'll barricade the door. Hopefully it'll give us enough time." she said, and shoved the items off the table. The katana went down, but she couldn't care less right now.

Nero pushed it with her to the door, and they gripped it to shove it flat against the wall. "Time for what?"

"To find another way out." Lara replied.

Nero fell against the wall, sliding down and his shoulders heaved. "What are those things?"

"I don't know, but they clearly aren't friendly." Lara replied. "Now you see why I never let you have a pet."

Nero laughed, terrified and startled. "And if we get out of here I'll never ask again."

_If_. Lara's thoughts whirling, before focusing razor sharp on protecting her son. "We're not going to die here." she said, and pulled him to his feet. She had no idea what those creatures were, but right now the only thing which mattered was; they were getting out. And, can she kill it?

The meager barricade thudded, and the glass window broke. The snarls and growls went down to Lara's bones.

"Nero, grab anything you can and shove it against the door." Lara said. He dragged chairs from the office, and Lara pushed a file cabinet across the floor. It shrieked along the tiles, and Lara breathed heavily once she got it to the barrier.

Nero sat beside her, both of them leaning against the barricade and his chest heaved. "What if the barrier can't hold?"

Lara hadn't wanted to think about it, about her son being caught in a situaton like this. Or even what _this_ was. Her hands balled into fists. "You're still small enough to hide in the safe. You climb in there, and I'll take out as many as I can for you to run."

Nero's eyes widened. "What? I'm not going to let you die!" he jumped as another thump hit the door.

"Nero, look at me." Lara grabbed his face, craddling it. She memorized every feature, those from her and the most from elsewhere, making sure if the last she saw had to be anything, she wanted it to be him. "You run, understand me? You are the most important thing in my life, and you have to live, will you do that for me?"

Nero unslung his right arm, reaching up with both hands to place his palms against hers. He stared back, defiance blazing in his eyes, before it muted and he squeezed them shut. His grip tightened on her hands. His eyes shot open as the door thudded hard enough to send the table against it back.

Lara wrapped her arms around Nero and pulled him from the path of the falling debris. She covered him, the furniture crashing to the floor and the cabinet toppled over, breaking the tiles with its landing. Lara let out a shaky breath, grabbing the gun at her waist as the growling beyond the _unbarricaded_ door reached them. "Get to the office, now." she pushed at Nero, making him move.

The head of the cat poked through the door, and Lara shot it between the eyes. It jerked back, yowling. Lara reached for another gun in her bag, and Nero made for the office. His foot caught on the broken leg of a chair, and he went down with a hard thud.

Lara lunged for him as another monster leapt into the room. She skidded in front of him, firing bullet after bullet into the creature. Something cracked in the 'skin' it had, but Lara grunted as the cat collided with her. She bore the brunt of the weight to avoid landing on Nero, leaning her head back to avoid the jaws snapping for her neck.

One set of claws sank deep into her shoulder. "_Ahhhh!_" The pain burned through it, like being cauterized again with a heated arrow.

_"NO!_"

* * *

Nero's heart thudded so hard, he was sure it was going to give out. His world began to tilt as his mother screamed, blood running down her arm. The sound was going to haunt his nightmares. His wonderful, loving mother. Who never resented him, or rejected him. His favorite, most precious person in the world he could never live without.

Who was going to die, who was going to be taken away from him.

A fury with the force of what he'd never felt before flooded through him. His eyes burned red, a blue aura flaring to life around him as he reached for the closest thing he could. The handle of the broken katana found its way into his grasp. "_NO!_"

He swung, but to his shock, before he could move an inch, a spectral blade stabbed through the creature. It yowled, and its 'skin' seemed to shatter. His mother gasped, clutching her shoulder as she staggered back. Nero reached for her with his other arm, but a spectral hand caught her back, and steadied her.

Nero froze, his demonic arm glowing brighter as the broken blade resonated. Somewhere inside his mind, he heard a voice say, **"Power, I want more power.**" Nero's head throbbed, and he squinted his eyes against the light. In a moment, it died down, enough for him to stare at the katana, now reformed.

His mother's heavy breathing brought his attention back to her, and she's staring at him, then behind him. Somehow, Nero knows there's a spectral form there. "Well, this is new." she said.

Nero blinked. "I...I guess it is." he could only say. Worry colored his face. "Your shoulder-"

"It's nothing which hasn't happened before. The injury, not the monster." His mother replied. She glanced sharply at the door as more growls came through. Something grim shined in her eyes. "I suppose even if I told you to, you wouldn't hide?"

"You can ground me later, _when_ we get out of here." Nero replied.

His mother sighed heavily as she grabbed her shotgun. "Of all times for you to be rebellious." She fired at the first monster which dared pass the door.

Another charged through, and Nero swiped his arm. The blade shattered the creature. This was two, there were only five-six more, right?

'_We can do this_.' Nero thought. His mother fired at another creature, stunning it and Nero finished it off. His red eyes began flickering, turning back and forth to blue. The aura surrounding him started fading. Panic rose. '_What? No, no, no, there can't be a timer!_'

His thoughts were interrupted by the explosion on the other side end of the hall. A figure skidded into view, and the pulled a barrel over their shoulder, firing something which causes another explosion just short of the creatures. It draws their attention.

Nero's aura fades completly, the spectral figure disappearing. His body is heavy, drained as he collasped to his knees.

* * *

Lara heard her son fall to the floor, expression unfocused and hazy. She knelt beside him, gun trained on the door as she pulled him to her side. The now fixed katana is clutched tightly in his demonic hand. She wasn't sure what to think, but she stopped trying to make sense of strange things a long time ago.

The door shielded them from the bullets fired from the other side, her heart beating a mile a minute. Had someone heard the commotion, had someone called the police? When the firing and screeching died down, footsteps echoed along the hall. The door slid open, and Lara couldn't stop from blinking, unsure of whether she was hallucinating.

It wasn't the police, for one, but a petite woman with short dark hair and heterochromatic eyes, a scar over her nose. What could only be a missile launcher or bazooka was on her back, a blade attached. The woman held up her hands as Lara's gun was trained on her. "Hey, ease up."

Nero groaned, head lolling as he stared at the woman. "It's you, that lady who didn't wear a helmet."

Lara wondered whether he was delirious from being so tired, but her attention snapped to the second figure who walked into the room. What caught her attention wasn't the skull sword handle peering over his shoulder, or the black and white guns he carried or even the red coat he wore. It was his hair, white and falling around his face, bangs swept to the side. Blue eyes. And his face...it was older, with stubble along the jaw.

Lara could only stare, now unsure of whether she was hallucinating. The last time she saw that face, the man was trying to read her some sappy poetry in such a cringy tone it made her both want to laugh and face palm.

The white-haired man's eyes flickered from Lara to Nero, and then to the sword in his grip. Something in his demeanour changed, though Lara wasn't quite sure what. The smirk which formed on his lips seemed to fit there more easily. "Well, looks like you were right, Lady. This job _is_ actually interesting."

Lara's brows furrowed, and the woman said, "You wanted answers about your son's father, your contact told us you worked late here." she glanced around the wrecked room. "Looks like we got here just in time."

Lara sighed, her gaze never leaving the man. "You look like..." she stopped, frowning.

The man shrugged. "Name's Dante, and sorry to disappoint you, but your baby daddy was my dumbass twin brother, Vergil, not me."

Lara's arm dropped, suddenly even more drained. If Nero wasn't leaning against her, she was sure she'd have collapsed as well. _'This is like a freaking soap opera.'_


	7. Smells Like Teen Angst

**(Conclusion to It's Not An Infection and Wolf And Cub. ****So, the timeline is DMC 3, 1, anime, and 2. **

**Dante's personality was a bit hard to pin down, because I wanted it to show that finding out about Nero didn't _automatically_ change him back to being lighter, but didn't leave him _un_affected either.**** )**

* * *

Last night was, in every sense of the word, disorienting. Lara's head still ached well beyond getting a meager amount of sleep during the night. If she still had a job with the museum, Lara was no doubt sure she'd be on probation for 'thieves stealing the valuable artifact'. It was the explanation she gave to the police, after she procured a payphone and first called a driver and her private doctor to show up and take care of her shoulder. It still ached, stitches tight in her skin.

It wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as avoiding looking anywhere but at Dante as he and Lady skulked around the background, seeming to be checking for anymore of those monsters. Nero avoided talking to the police alltogether, instead hiding away inside the car, holding his arm. More than the shock of the attack and seeing Dante, was when the latter tried taking the katana and Nero's demonic arm glowed, the sword seeming to disappear into it, though the arm hadn't stopped glowing for some reason.

That was when Lara decided the night was done, and they could all talk at the manor the next day, with no one overhearing their undoubtedly awkward conversation. Rather than reply, Dante gave Nero a long look, before Lady shoved him to the pummeled door, and she helped pull Lara back to her feet.

It worried her, how quiet Nero was on the way home, but she chalked most of it up to exhaustion, or shock. Lara couldn't deny that she wasn't feeling much of the same. Nero escaped the questions Sam had for them when they got home, by dashing off to bed, leaving Lara to recount the harrowing event.

And even now, after getting through the morning and cleaning her stitches, she couldn't shake the thought something was wrong. Something Dante said, which only caught up with her now that her head was marginally clear. _Was_. Perhaps he misspoke though.

Sighing, Lara checked the time, and made her way to Nero's room. She knocked before entering, but frowned when she found him still in bed and buried under the covers. Lara brushed the white hair peeking out, and he shifted. "Nero, you'd better get dressed. Dante and Lady will be here soon to give us some answers."

Nero was silent for a moment, before he finally said, "I don't want to see him - them." he said quickly, stumbling over it. "You're paying them a lot of money, aren't you? I'm sure for that amount they'll tell you everything. I don't need to be there."

Lara furrowed her brow. She thought he was quiet last night due to the attack, but there was something more to the words. _Him_. Lara closed her eyes, because she realized what the problem might be. "Is it because he looks like your father, or because he's probably all you'll ever see of him now?" Nero stiffened up. "I didn't miss how Dante spoke of him in the past tense either."

"...I...I don't care." Nero muttered, but his muscles tensed up. "I'm just not interested in meeting someone who I'm probably not gonna see again anyway."

Lara scrutinized him, but decided not to push. If she made Nero sit with them, talk and interact with someone he clearly didn't want to see, he might resent her for it. Perhaps all he needed was time to sort this out himself. "Alright then," she said softly, "but if you change your mind, we'll be downstairs."

"...fine." Nero mumbled, and buried his head under his pillow.

Lara closed the door on her way out, and her steps were heavy as she made her way down the stairs. Sam met her in the foyer, pushing her sunglasses up to rest on her hairline. "You got the money from the bank." she stated, observing the briefcase the woman was carrying.

Sam nodded. "Went through a lot of security checks for this much. Am I late?"

"No, they should be arriving soon though." Lara replied. She noticed Sam glancing beyond her, to the empty space and guessed what she was thinking. "Nero feels that...it would be best not to meet his uncle."

Sam grimaced. "I can imagine why. They really identical twins?" she asked. Lara nodded, and the other woman furrowed her brow, worry in her eyes. "What about you? How do you feel about meeting him?"

"I did see him last night." Lara said mildly, but not even that lightened her mood. "It's...going to be a bit difficult, I'll admit, but I just need to focus on the differences, not any similarities." With that, they made their way into the tea room, and Winston soon came in with a tray. "Thank you."

Winston nodded, and the butler said, "Your guests have arrived, shall I escort them in, Ms. Croft?"

"Yes, please." Lara said, and the older man took his leave. Lara poured herself a cup, and breathed in deep. She couldn't believe how nervous she found herself. She glanced up when Winston came back in, and noticed that Dante and Lady were unarmed. Not surprising, given this was only a civil conversation.

Lady took the chair next to them, while Dante sat on the couch, crossing one leg over the other before propping it on the coffee table, and leaning his elbow over the arm of the couch. He looked around, whistling. "Fancy place you got here. A butler and everything. Half expecting to see a tiger rather than a house cat."

Lady glowered at him. "Dante, didn't you pay any attention to what I said before we came here? Get your foot off the table!"

Lara exchanged a look with Sam, who raised both brows. Lara was suddenly finding herself very relieved. No, she couldn't see that man in this Dante. "I wouldn't want to waste your time, so I think I'll keep the introductions brief." She gestured to the woman beside her. "This is Samantha Nishimura. She's Nero's godmother."

"Hello." Sam said, and hefted the briefcase up. "This is the amount for the job, provided you have the information we need."

Dante flourished his hands to himself. "What, the fact I don't look exactly like the kid's dad not enough?" Lady glared at him, but he ignored it as he glanced around. "Speaking of which, where is the kid?"

"He...wasn't feeling well." Lara replied quickly. "Now, what I first and foremost need to know is - and forgive me for being so blunt - what is Nero, exactly? What are _you_ for that matter?" she asked Dante.

The man in red tilted his head back slightly, regarding her for a moment. "You ever hear the legend about Sparda?" he asked.

Lara stared at him, brows knitted together. Beside her, Sam straightened up, surprise flashing on her face. "You mean it's actually true?" she asked, before catching Lara's confused stare. "Well, supposedly, the human world and demon world were connected, before a demon named Sparda used his power to separate the two worlds."

Lara knew she shouldn't have been surprised Sam came across this information. "What does this have to do with anything though?"

"Sparda was my old man." Dante said bluntly. Lara's head whipped around to stare at him again. "He had a human wife, my mom, and they had me and Vergil. We're half-demons, got all sorts of strength and nifty healing - so we're hard to kill." Something too quick to identify passed over his face. "Or at least, I am." he muttered, before he smirked at Lara. "So by that, your kid's probably just a little bit demonic. Enough to get that freaky looking arm of his."

Lara's brow ticked, lips twitching into a frown. She glanced at Lady. "Is he always like this?" she asked, but the woman was staring at Dante with what seemed to be surprise.

Before anyone could answer her, Dante got to his feet. "You know, I forgot to take a leak before we came over. Where's your toilet?"

"Dante." Lady growled, lips curling in disgust.

Lara sighed. "Down the hall." she said, and the man left, waving his hand over his shoulder. She sipped on her tea. "So, Lady, how did you and Dante hear about this?"

Lady glared after Dante a moment longer, before she picked up a tea cup. "Dante's agent actually heard about it, that you were looking for information about a white-haired man with blue eyes. A bit vague, but well, you've seen Dante, not hard to think you meant him."

Lara flushed a little. Yes, she could imagine not many people would fit that description under at least 50, and even more those with natural white hair. "Why wasn't I informed the job had been taken?"

Lady was quiet a moment too long. "Dante...didn't really want to take it." she admitted. "At least not at first. You see, he hasn't really...been himself for a while. In fact, this is the most animated I've seen him. I think seeing your son with the Yamato really cemented for him that Nero is his nephew."

Sam, who had been sipping on her own tea, choked. She coughed, gasping for air. "The Yamato? Are you saying that the swords are real too?"

Lara blinked. "Okay, you've lost me again."

"A sword used to seal the demon world away." Lady explained. "Sparda had his own named after him, but he had two others; Rebellion is Dante's, and Yamato was...Vergil's." She paused for a moment, and seemed reluctant to add anything, before saying, "It's the sword Nero's arm absorbed last night."

Lara's grip went slack. The cup and dish crashed to her feet, breaking on the floor. Her eyes were wide. Her mind was in a whirl; the sword- the katana- belonged to Nero's father? She inhaled deeply. "I think...I would like to know how it came to be found broken on Mallet Island."

Lady glanced away, staring down into her tea. "Sure. I wasn't there, mind you, but I'll tell you what I know."

* * *

Nero tried not to move as the door opened, but he frowned as his arm began glowing again. Curious despite himself, he glanced out under his pillow. Then wished he hadn't and scowled. "What are you doing in here, old man?"

"Was looking for the can, and decided to check around the place." Dante replied casually.

Nero sneered back into his pillow, refusing to look at him again. "If you're lost I'm sure Winston can show you where it is. Or better yet, he can show you the door."

"You know, your mom said you were sick, but I think all you got is a bad attitude." Dante said, and Nero could only picture a smirk on his face he wanted to punch off. "Seriously, kid, I smelled your moodiness from downstairs; all you're missing is Linkin' Park, an edgy hair-cut, and you'd be the poster boy for teen angst."

Nero's temper flared, demon claws scratching into his mattress as he fought the urge to glare at him. "Like you're one to talk - last night you showed up in cowboy boots and chaps!" he retorted. When there was no immediate response, Nero felt his mouth curl into a smirk. "Let me guess, you're wearing them right now."

"It's not a bad look, you little punk." Dante grumbled. There was a shuffling of boots on the floor, and a rustling of something being sifted through. "You got all these video games and you're still in bed feeling sorry for yourself."

Nero scowled. "Don't touch my stuff, old man."

Dante chuckled mockingly. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Nero's eyes blazed red. "SHUT UP!" he roared, and whipped his pillow at Dante. It caught the man on the shoulder, bouncing off harmlessly. Nero found himself glaring at him, before squeezing his eyes shut, and turned his glare to the floor. "Get out."

From the periphery, Dante only crossed his arms. "Is that any way to treat your long-lost uncle?"

Nero scowled again. "You think you can come in here and pretend we're best buds? You're only here because my mom wanted info on my father. Once you get paid, I doubt I'll ever see you again."

Dante seemed to stare at him for a moment, before he startled Nero by sitting on the floor. He wasn't facing Nero anymore, instead turning on the television and picking out a game. "You can project your daddy issues all you want, but don't give some lame excuse about it being me you got a problem with."

Nero's hand clenched, wishing he had another pillow to throw at the back of Dante's head. Or something heavier. "I don't care about my father. I never have!"

"Then why did you look away from me?" Dante retorted. "Afraid of what you'll see?"

Nero went silent. The only noise in the room being the quiet hum of the console. Nero glanced briefly at his demonic arm, then to the pictures on his book shelf. His mother, Sam, and him. He was happy, with them. They were enough, he didn't need a father, but...

"It's stupid," he muttered, "but when I was elementary school, the other kids would ask about where my dad was, why it was always Mom or Sam who got me. When I was old enough to know what a bastard was, it was either that, or my hair kid's talked crap about. So, my father just became something to mean everything wrong in my life, and this arm...doesn't exactly help." he clenched his demonic hand.

"And now you don't even get the chance to sock your old man in the face for it all, is that it?" Dante asked. He didn't sound condemning, he seemed almost curious.

Nero still narrowed his eyes, before replying cautiously, "Yeah. I just feel bad about everything my mom must have went through. Even with Sam to help, it couldn't have been easy raising me."

Dante was silent this time, before he chuckled again, without any mockery this time. "You know, my brother would have sooner burned his poetry book than admit he didn't have any flaws. You got that going for you, kid. Although, my brother might not have gone crazy if he knew your mom was nobility - title and everything; Vergil always thought he was better than everybody else, probably would have stayed just to get the chance to literally lord himself over us peasants."

Nero was sure he was being mocked now. "Your names really are Dante and Vergil?"

Dante snorted. "Yeah. Now, are you going to help me kill some zombies or not?" he asked, holding out the extra controller.

Nero stared at offering, before forcing himself to glance up into the man's face. Older, white hair in his face, blue eyes so like his own. Nero swallowed, before he realized he saw nothing now but the rude jerk who thought busting into his room unannounced was a good family bonding activity. Nero smirked. "You even know how to play? I think this console is a bit beyond you." he retorted, snatching up the controller.

Dante's brows knitted, mouth curled into a half-grin, half-scowl. "Oh, it's on now, kid."

Nero was sure things weren't so easily fixed over a game of zombie-slaying, but he felt the edge he'd built up throughout the years soften a little. Dante was a doof, immature, and a giant jerk - but he wasn't trying to be his father.

And that was just what he needed right now.

* * *

Lara rubbed her brow. The information was a lot to absorb, about Vergil and all that transpired with him. She wondered how much she'd be able to tell Nero. He'd asked about his father only once, but she could never be sure if his assurance he didn't care about his sire was true, or just for her benefit. This was going to be a lot to tell a child, even if Nero was edging toward 14 soon.

"Wow, you dodged a bullet with that one." Was all Sam could say. Perhaps a bit delirious from the pain in her shoulder, Lara laughed.

"Whoa, was the tea spiked with alcohol? What's with all the laughing?" Lara quieted herself as Dante came back in.

Lady stood and marched up to him, pointing a finger in his face. "Where the hell did you go? You left me here to explain everything _your_ psychotic brother did -" she stopped herself when Nero came around the corner into the room.

Lara smiled though, and got up to hug him. He grumbled but didn't push her away. "How are you feeling?"

"It's okay, the old man knew I wasn't sick." Nero explained. "He came to talk to me - we played some video games, he lost - alot." he smirked. Lara raised a brow, but Lady elbowed Dante in the ribs, scowling at him.

"I can't believe you were slacking off while I did all the work." she muttered.

"Hey, kid and I had like - a heart-to-heart or whatever. Point is, I still get half of the cut." Dante retorted.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun?" Lara asked Nero, who shrugged.

"I guess he's alright, you know, for an old man."

Before Dante could retaliate, Sam came up and held out the briefcase. He accepted it with a grin. "I'm buying so much pizza with this." he chuckled.

"Not with my cut you aren't!" Lady snapped. She chased after Dante as they made for the front door.

Nero's expression went pensive, before calling out, "Hey Dante!" and the white-haired man stopped. Lady skidded to a halt, seeming just as confused. "Will we meet again?"

Dante's only response was a two-fingered salute over his shoulder on his way out the door. Lady rolled her eyes, muttering, "Show off" before going after him.

Lara gazed down at Nero, tilting her head. "About what you heard, before Lady stopped herself-"

"It's okay." Nero cut her off. His expression conflicted, but only for a moment. It cleared with resolve. "I'm okay. Whatever she told you, I'm not like him."

Lara leaned down to kiss the top of his head. "I never thought you would be." she said sincerely, and he glanced away bashfully, before he huffed as he glared over his shoulder at the door.

"The old man though better have been serious about being an uncle - I'm not waiting a decade just to beat him at a video game." he grumbled, but it turned into a grunt when Sam wrapped her arm around his shoulder, colliding with him.

"Now that the heavy stuff is out of the way, anyone up for brunch? I don't know about you, but I'm starving right now."

Nero grinned, and used his other hand to grab Lara's, tugging her along with them down the hall. "Yeah, that sounds great."


	8. This Is Your Legacy

Lara was getting worried. The school called, informing her that _again_ Nero was skipping out on some classes and late for others. She frowned and phoned Sam. "Why didn't you tell me the school called before about Nero's absence?"

Sam sighed. "I didn't figure it was anything to worry about. I just thought it was Nero being a teenager, hating school and all that. Besides, kid's going through the longest puberty in history, wouldn't that make anyone crabby and moody?"

Lara furrowed her brow. It _was_ taking a long time for Nero's puberty to settle down. Just when one thing seemed over, it only started back up with another. When Nero grew several inches, she thought her heart stopped due to the crack which came from his demonic arm. It hadn't settled her nerves, even upon realizing it was scales growing in and not bone breaking. "I...suppose."

"You know, it's okay to be a nosy mom. Just go ask him what's wrong. Most all he'll probably do is sulk." Sam replied.

Lara smiled faintly. "Yes, I think that would be a good a start, thank you."

"No problem."

Hanging up the phone, Lara made her way to Nero's room. She breathed in deeply, and knocked. After a moment of no answer, Lara peered inside. Nero was hunched over on his desk, arms folded on a notebook as he snored. Her tension eased, and Lara shook his shoulder once in reach. Nero shook his head, muttering something under his breath as he pulled himself up.

It gave Lara a chance to see the notebook. The smile on her lips dropped. Rather than notes for class, there were nothing but designs of a sword and pistol. Sketches littered the pages she could see, minute details written hastily beside each one. "Nero, what are these?"

Nero rubbed his forehead. "What?" he asked groggily, but his eyes snapped open when he noticed what Lara was looking at. Like a child, he lowered his arms back on the book to cover it. "It's nothing." he muttered.

"With that amount of detail, I wouldn't say it's nothing." Lara replied. "Would this have anything to do with why the school called about you skipping classes?"

Nero's skin reddened. "It wasn't a big deal, and the classes were ones I already got credits for. Besides, it wouldn't help me anyway."

"It'll help you get into a good university." Lara pointed out.

Nero snorted, and glanced up at her. "I don't plan on going to university. I'm gonna hunt demons like the old man."

No matter what Nero would have said, Lara was sure it wouldn't have seized in her chest like this. "_What?_"

Shrugging, Nero explained, "I can't exactly have a normal career with this," he raised his demonic arm, "so I figured why not just go do good where I can? Dante and his friends are all demon hunters, and I'd probably fit right in with them more anyway."

Lara's thoughts were going a mile a minute. Nero sounded so sure, so absolute that it drained her. "You...talked to Dante about this already?"

"Yeah." Nero replied. "Figured I wasn't going to let the old man go back on his promise, so I've been calling him every now and then. Not sure if he meant it, but he said if 'normal life' didn't work out his door was open."

Lara's mouth thinned into a hard line. "What he does is dangerous. It's just not something you can _choose_ on a whim. Don't you remember how badly it almost went at the museum?"

Nero's expression darkening said he more than remembered. "Yes, and I don't ever want to be caught off guard like that again. We almost died - _you_ -almost died...I have this power and I want to do something with it."

Lara didn't know whether the heavy feeling in her stomach was shame or guilt. How couldn't she have seen the signs? How could she have been so naive to believe that Nero wasn't as deeply affected by the demon attack than he let on? "Sweetheart, you don't need to go out hunting demons to do good."

"Oh really?" Nero's eyes narrowed on her. "So we're just going to pretend that I don't have a magic sword which belonged to my father in my arm?" he raised said arm for emphasis. "The old man told me what it could do, but I can't use it because I can't find a spot to train with it. I can't do anything without someone telling you what I've been up too."

"Nero, that's not-"

"The school called." Nero retorted.

"Because it's their job to report tardiness and absences." Lara replied. "And I'd rather you do something safe than go risking your life at every turn."

"That's so damn hypocritical!" Nero shouted. Lara jerked back, but Nero wasn't finished yet, "You can go on your digs and get into wild adventures that have you coming back with bruises and scars and you don't think _I_ get worried? That one day you're not going to come back?"

"I've never meant to put my life in danger." Lara said, but the context and sheer falseness of the words were hollow even to her. Nero glared at her. Lara's back straightened, and she glared back at him. "Can't you see that I don't want any of that for you? I'd love nothing more than for you to have a safe, boring life where you can be happy and never have to worry about being in constant danger."

"I'm never going to be normal, because _this_," Nero raised his right hand, "is always going to be here, reminding me of that."

"That doesn't mean you can't _try_ for a normal life." Lara replied. She tried to reach out to grasp his hand, but Nero pulled it back.

"Like you tried?" Nero spat. Lara went stiff.

There it was, the closest thing to a confirmation Lara ever heard to what she feared most. It wasn't 'you're a bad mother' or 'I hate you', but 'you were never there.' All the anger drained away, leaving behind a tiredness that went right down to her bones.

Nero's hard expression softened, shock replacing his fury as though registering just what he said. "Mom, I-I-"

"I think we both need time to clear our heads." Lara said quietly. She couldn't bring herself to say anymore, and left before either of them could get another word out.

* * *

Nero never wanted to punch something so badly in his life. Himself, for one. How could he say something so thoughtless? His mother loved him, there was never any doubt about it, but to imply she loved exploring the world more than him was low. Nero ran his fingers through his hair, adrenaline still coursing through him that it left his fingers shaking.

_'She started it too though.'_ Nero thought, frowning. Neither of them was blameless in this arguement, but that wasn't exactly the outlet Nero wanted to vent his frustration at. He grabbed his cell phone and held it to his ear.

_"Dev-"_

"This is all your fault!"

There was a short pause on the other line. _"Nero, I should have known your teen angst wasn't gone forever. What'd I do this time?"_ Dante asked, and his cavelier tone made Nero seethe.

"I had an argument with my mom because you put all that stuff into my head about how I could come work with you."

_"Okay, that's really stretching it, kid. And I wasn't actually being serious-you got a good life going for you, why would you wanna throw it all away?"_ Dante replied.

Nero gritted his teeth. Dante did _not_ get to sound like the reasonable one here. "Because I can't have a normal life, not with what I am. Being a demon hunter is all I can probably do now."

There was a longer pause on the other end. _"Kid, are you still hung up about what happened at the museum? I think you need a therapist, not spend your time yelling at me."_

Nero scowled. "I already did talk to one, and that's not what this is about. Everything could have gone so wrong that night. If you and Lady hadn't shown up, Mom and I would be dead because I couldn't get my Devil Trigger to last longer. I _hated_ feeling so useless."

_"You're what, sixteen now? You're still just a kid, Nero-_"

"I need to be stronger, and hunting down demons will do that!" Nero snapped. He could still the hear the voice which spoke from the Yamato so clearly. "How can I make sure nothing like that night happens again if I don't have more power?"

Dante was silent so long that Nero thought he'd hung up on him. _"Looks like I was wrong, but what else is new?"_ Dante muttered low enough that Nero almost didn't catch it. Before Nero could ask, Dante's voice rose back to normal, _"Nothing would have changed what happened that day, no matter how many 'what-if's you ask yourself. Of course you weren't strong then, you were a kid._"

Nero glowered into the phone. What the hell kind of talk was this? "I'm almost an adult and I still feel so weak. I haven't been able to make any progress with my Devil Trigger or the Yamato, if I could just unlock more-"

_"Stay the hell away from that stuff, Vergil!"_ Dante snapped.

Nero's eyes widened. "W-what did you just cal-"

_"Nero, I said Nero."_ Dante said quickly. _"You still got a mom, and she's like, an archeologist, right? Why don't you do that?"_

Nero's brow furrowed. "My demon-"

"I'll _show you how to control it._" There was a heavy silence, and Dante sounded baffled he even said it when he added, "Yeah, might as well. If you're not gonna just gonna give up."

"Of course I wouldn't." Nero muttered. "You mean it though? Like, I can come see you in person, and it's not just you telling me what to do over the phone?"

_"...yeah, my door's always open. I did mean that part."_

Nero let out a long sigh. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." he said, and paused before adding, "And also thanks for taking this seriously for fifteen minutes."

_"F-fifteen minutes? I changed my mind, from now on we do all our conversations face-to-face or I'm sending your mom the bill."_

Nero found himself grinning a little despite himself. "Goodbye, Dante."

* * *

Lara thought doing paperwork would help get her mind off things, but it wasn't helping much. Perhaps she should have chosen a different room to do this than her study. Everywhere she looked, all she saw was both from her adventures and the heavy reminder there were as many pictures of Nero as there were of the place's she'd been. _'It had never been safe to take him, not while Trinity was still around then._ she thought, but it was of little reassurance.

Perhaps the faintest of praise was that Nero didn't hate her for being away so much, but that he was disappointed in her cut her so much more deeply. Half the photos on her desk were from times she couldn't even remember being around for. Whenever she could though, Sam always sent a recording of Nero doing something cute.

Lara's gaze lifted to the wall, above the mantle where the picture she'd drawn as a child hung, framed and protected by glass. She would never regret keeping this life, but she did wish she could ask her parents about what to do in this situation. Then again, it wasn't exactly like catching your child sneaking back into the house after a night out on the town.

Lara would have taken that over this. At least she could have just grounded Nero for that. _'It is his life though, do I just let him make his own decisions about his future?'_ she thought. It...wasn't like Lara had done much with regards to his future anyway. Just another failing, that the only thing she felt she was doing right was making sure Nero got the best education he could.

Sighing, Lara set aside her work. She glanced up in time to hear the door opening, and Nero peered in. His face lost much of the baby fat, but right now he still looked so much like a child.

"Hey, Mom, is this a bad time?"

Lara shook her head. "No, come in." She waited unil Nero had taken a seat before asking tentatively, "What brings you here?"

"My feet." Nero answered. He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. "Yeah, that was bad." he rubbed his neck. "So, there's no easy way to say this but...I-"

"I'm sorry." Lara and Nero stared at each other, their words echoed together.

Nero blinked owlishly. "_You're_ sorry? But I was the one who-" he stopped, glancing away. "I insulted you."

"And I jumped the gun on what you wanted to do with your life." Lara replied. "I always thought I was doing something right, giving you an education, but...it is your life, and I...I have no right to criticize what you want to do. You were right, it is hypocritical of me to say what I did."

Nero stared at her more, and he nervous rubbed his arm. "Well, thanks for understanding." he said. "But...I decided to hold off on the demon hunter thing." he tried for another smile. It almost looked genuine this time. "Don't want the old man thinking I'm muscling in on his territory."

Lara smiled slightly, but noticed there was something missing. "I will still support you in what you choose."

Nero nodded, and he took a deep breath, as if calming himself for what he was going to say. "I want to be like you. I want to be like grandfather. I want to be an archeologist."

Now it was Lara's turn to stare at him. "You...do?" She wasn't sure how to feel. It was perhaps every parent's dream to hear such a thing from their child, but with the luck her family has had... "You do know that archeologist doesn't mean 'explorer', right? That my main job is always going to be in a museum, right?"

Nero nodded, his eyes sure and serious. "Demon hunting, well, if that happens, it happens, and Dante's at least going to show me how to control my demon power."

It was perhaps a bit early to start celebrating, but Lara found herself smiling wider. "Then...if you're so sure, I can't exactly let you do something without knowing a thing or two." she got up and held out her arm, pulling Nero to his feet. "You want to make a gun and sword? Well, you can't do that without knowing how to use one."

Nero raised a brow. "Dante has those."

Lara smiled coyly. "Yes, but why don't I show you what I know first?"

Now Nero's smile was genuine, a grin tugging at the corners. "That'd be awesome, really show the old man." he slipped his arm through Lara's as they left the study.

"The designs though for your weapons though, were those names I saw written on then?" Lara asked curiously.

Nero flushed, ducking his head. "Red Queen and Blue Rose. After your White Queen, and well, just because I liked the name."

Lara's chest warmed, and she leaned down to bump her head against his. "That's sweet. Do you need help building them?"

"No, I got that covered. I actually found a shop which would help me. The owner, I think his name's Rock, has this daughter whose really good with weapons designing." Nero made a face. "She's kinda crude and a smoker, but she knows her stuff. Her name's Nico, I can introduce you if you want."

Lara thought about it for a moment, before she smiled. "Yes, I'd like that."


	9. Vacation Destination

"I hope you're both ready to have fun!" Sam said, raising her arms enthusiastically. She was standing at the base of the private plane, having run out first to make the spectacle.

Lara gazed around at the surrounding sandy coastline, mist around a mountain range in the distance with trees on all sides. "Now I see why you told us to pack lighter clothing."

Nero wiped his forehead with his left hand, the right one covered by a long bandage and glove. He decided, soon as the temperature rose beyond temperate, to ditch his hoodie. "And why it got so hot. Will you tell us where you brought us now?"

Sam placed her hands on her hips, sunglasses atop her head. "Can't you tell? We're in _Hawaii_. Perfect spot for a family vacation. Don't you think?" she beamed.

Lara blinked slowly. This was...an interesting choice for Sam to choose to spend their week long trip. It really hadn't been her idea, but Sam saw the serendipity of Nero being out of school for break and Lara with no travelling plans as the time for an imprompty family getaway. "Yes, there's bound to be some history I can learn."

Nero nodded. "And I hear Hawaii's got a university with a archeology course, I can see about checking that out."

"No, stop, back up!" Sam waved her hands. She rolled her head, sighing dramatically. "This is supposed to be family time, not about work, or school, or anything else weird. Just a nice, normal vacation."

Lara exchanged a glance with Nero. He hefted his bag over his shoulder, and shrugged. "Well, I suppose I can turn off 'archeologist' mode for the time being." she said.

"And I can...worry about school once we leave." Nero added.

Sam clapped her hands, smiling. "Great! There's a buggy already waiting for us. We can head into Princeville and get checked in. Oh, I have so much for us to do. This is going to be fun!" Giddy, Sam raced down the rest of the dock, towards the vehicle parked at the end of it.

"I don't think I've seen her this excited since I let her plan my sixteenth birthday." Nero said bemused.

"Wait until she's trying to set you up with some of her friends' children." Lara drawled.

Nero snorted. "Like that'll happen. When she used to take me to the park, she hovered and took me somewhere else when anyone got too close." he paused. "Hell, at my birthday she'd drag me away when someone got too close."

"Please don't swear." Lara said in amusement. It was a bit bewildering Sam had no trouble wanting to set Lara up during university, but took an almost complete one-eighty when it came to Nero. _'Though she has spent more time with him, probably just overprotective._'

It did mean though Lara had yet to set anyone straight on how to treat her darling boy right. A bit of karma would be to hear him say 'I've met someone and I think you'll like them', especially if it were over dinner.

"Hurry up, we're losing daylight!" Sam called, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Already here, too late to run now." Nero said, and shifted his bag.

Lara furrowed her brow. "Is the bag giving you trouble? Do you want me to carry it?"

Nero stiffened, before flushing. "Ah, no, it's fine. All this stuff is just a bit heavier kept in one bag."

"Well, if you're sure." Lara said, and grabbed her suitcase before putting on her sunglasses. She bid the pilot goodbye, and exited the plane with her son. "Before Sam can overhear us, I'll try to ask about how the university is. Less suspicious than if she catches you doing it."

"Right, and I'll try asking about the history around here. That'll throw Sam's radar off." Nero replied with a smirk. Lara gave him a conspiratorial smile back, before they reached Sam's location.

"You took your sweet time." She huffed, but her lips were in a playful smile. Though Sam and Lara were the same age, the latter found the former appearing a decade younger in her tank top, khaki vest and wrap-around skirt, all with an air of exuberance which made Lara smile wider in appreciation.

"This place is so lovely even the dock is quite the sight." Lara said.

Sam snorted, and climbed into the passenger seat, while the driver was waiting patiently behind the wheel. "Come on, we've got so much to do and so little time."

Lara and Nero put their bags beside Sam's in the cubby of a trunk, before climbing into the back seat. Nero leaned forward and craned his neck to glance at Sam.

"What's on the agenda first then? Hiking, sight-seeing...shopping?" he asked.

Sam grinned. "Lunch, of course. We should be able to get to Princeville with enough time to meet our guest."

Lara straightened up, because it dawned on her just where they were. "Sam, you...you _didn't_?" She didn't want to give any hope or excitement away, but there was a hitch in her voice as she finally recongized the town, which island in Hawaii that Sam brought them too.

Sam smiled mischieviously at her. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Oh, you can certainly be cruel sometimes." Lara replied dryly.

"What's so special about this place? Is there a museum here you'll let Mom see?" Nero asked. Lara huffed, ruffling his hair. Her son scowled and swatted her hand away.

"No, nothing like that. I'm serious about the no work, no school thing and we're sticking to it." Sam said, and turned back in her seat.

Lara caught Nero's gaze flicker just the slightest bit to his bag in the trunk. She wondered just _what_ he brought along which would make him apprehensive.

* * *

So, Nero's already precarious plans were even more on the rocks. He wasn't adversed to testing out the Red Queen and Blue Rose prototypes, but how was he supposed to get away to do it now? _'Maybe I shouldn't have told Nico to go crazy with the mechanics_' he thought, because both were heavy.

"As long as you can carry the damn things, you said." Nico reminded him when he told her such. And he could, very slowly. Which seemed to amuse her greatly, especially because he was 'getting his money's worth.' "But don't think this means you can just go around destroying them all reckless, ya hear? They're a work of art."

"And how am I supposed to do a test run without there being at least a little wear?" Nero fired back, but Nico wouldn't let him take the weapons unless he put it in writing he wouldn't destroy the things.

In hindsight, perhaps bringing Red Queen and Blue rose on vacation wasn't the best idea, but the school break was the only time he'd get. The weeks were spent cramming for all the credits he'd need to get into a good archeology program, and studying on passing his driving test. The weekends were reserved for getting Dante to help him with the demon stuff, well, when he wasn't taking _care_ of demon stuff.

And now they were here, in Hawaii and it sounded as though Sam had the whole week already planned out. Nero hoped 'you can go explore on your own' time was alloted or he'd need to sneak out of wherever they were staying at night. Not to mention Nero only knew in _theory_ what his weapons could do, which were still kickass, but still. _'And trying to determine how loud Red Queen's engine is going to be, and how far I need to from town.'_

Speaking of which, after leaving the crescent-shaped bay, their driver took them into a town, people milling around under the hot sun and Nero wondered how they could stand the temperature. He paused, and leaned over to his mother. "Please tell me you brought sunscreen." She gave him a bashful glance, because she forgot too apparently.

"You're so lucky I remember that you burn easily in the sun." Sam said, digging a bottle out of her purse.

Nero accepted it gratefully. "Yeah, don't really want to feel like a pincushion after." He tucked the sunscreen into his pocket. His healing might have accelerated to take care of most injuries, but a sunburn was something he wanted to avoid. One bad case of it was enough for him.

"Here we are." Sam said, almost jumping in her seat as the driver pulled into the circular driveway of a wide, white-walled inn. It wasn't very big, but Nero wasn't sure what he expected. He didn't travel alot like his classmates did. "Thank you, we'll take it from here." she added, handing their driver a tip.

Nero followed his mother out of the vehicle, and slung his bag over his shoulder. He tried not to buckle under the weight inside. It would take some getting used to holding the weapons, that was for sure. If Nero didn't suck at using a bow, he might have asked Nico to make one of those too. Probably for the best he hadn't.

The lobby was covered with lamenated floor tiles, and landscape paintings hung on the walls. There was a reception desk at the back, but not a lot of people hanging around. Since it was an inn, Nero surmarised they were either out, or in the adjacent food court. His stomach growled at the thought eating real food. The only thing he'd had on the trip was an energy bar.

Sam glanced back at him, snickering. "Don't worry, we'll be eating soon. The cafeteria is just down the hall, you can head there once you're checked in."

Nero nodded, and waited behind as Sam checked them into the inn under his mother's name. He raised a brow, and lowered his voice so only Lara could hear, "I thought Sam was the one who arranged this trip?"

"She is," Lara said softly, "but I told her she could reserve it under my name and credit."

Nero raised a brow. "Really? The old man told me never to do that, because you'll get the bill from whatever they spend." His brow furrowed. "Then he kinda complained about Lady and someone named Trish's expensive taste in clothes. I think the old man might be going senile."

"And at such a young age." Lara drawled. Nero snorted, and Sam came back holding three keycards.

"We're on the second floor, and I expect you both to be in the cafeteria in ten minutes." Sam said sternly, but it was softened by the exictement in her eyes.

Nero and his mother nodded, before he hurried off to the his room. He found the room which matched the number on his keycard, and slipped inside. His gaze roamed the area, taking everything in. A modestly sized bed against the back, white linen sheets, and a dresser cabinet on one side, with a nightstand on the other.

Nero set his bag onto the bed, passing the private bathroom to the window. His window wasn't overlooking anything scenic, but he did get a view of the forest and hills with the mountain in the back. Nero breathed in the fresh air, before he realized the view gave him the perfect way to gauge the distance of where he could test out his weapons and not freak anyone out.

Before he left, Nero hid the 'telescope' box under his bed, and stuffed Blue Rose into the box as well. Locking the door behind him, Nero reminded himself to try and make hiding his weapons less suspicious. He doubted whether that was possible, but there were no reports about a man in a red coat wielding a giant sword so who knows, anything's possible.

His mother waved from the entrance to the cafeteria, and he jogged up to her. "How's your room?"

"It's nice, I have a view of the town." Lara said.

"Really? I got a look at the mountains." Nero replied.

Lara snorted, before linking her arm through his and tugging him into the room. Booths lined the wall next to the window, leading to the patio outside, while tables made up the majority of the room. There was a bar to the back serving a lone blonde woman, who was wearing sunglasses in doors and an all black outfit with a brown open jacket. Nero wasn't sure why the woman wanted to torture herself wearing colors which only absorbed heat.

From one of the tables, Sam waved them over. Lara smiled widely when she saw who was sitting next to her; a large man with his hair tied back and peppered with gray, tattoos running along his arms.

"Jonah!" Nero almost tripped over his feet as his mother dragged him to the table. She released him in turn to hug the newcomer. "It's so good to see you. It feels like it's been forever. How's Abby?"

Nero's head spund a little as he tumbled into one of the chairs, blinking a bit dazed. He glanced at Sam, who had a strange sort of smile on her face, both happy and a bit sad. She caught Nero's eye, and her smile widened, any sadness chased away.

"It's great too see you too, and it hasn't been _that_ long." The man replied, patting Lara on the back. "And Abby's fine. She would have come, but she had business to take care of."

Lara nodded, smiling as she sat down. "I didn't want to raise my hopes, but once I realized where we were, I hoped I could see you when you weren't out sailing along the coast." she said, and the man laughed. She caught Nero's eye, before gesturing to him. "Jonah, I'm not sure if you remember my son, Nero."

Jonah scrutinized him, and Nero waited for the 'he doesn't look like you' which always seemed to be the first thing said. Instead, Jonah only nodded. "Yes, can't really forget seeing a kid with white hair." he said, but it was light-hearted. "You were really young when I met you, so you probably don't remember me."

Nero was a bit embarrassed to admit that, because his mother _had_ mentioned the man on occassion. "You're right," he said quietly, "but you, ah, work with my mom?"

"Worked," Jonah corrected him, "retired now. Well, retired from the whole business your mother's up to. Now I just spend my days relaxing and fishing; money's pretty good with that."

Nero blinked slowly, before glancing at Sam. "Please tell me fishing isn't on your list. You know what happened the last time."

Sam patted his right hand, perhaps a bit patronizing with the hilarity hindsight provided. "Don't worry, no fishies are going to bit your widdle fingers." she smirked, and Nero scowled as he yanked his hand back.

He shoved his arm down though, because he could have sworn even through the thick wrappings there was a glow. "Whatever." he muttered.

"How long are you staying for?" Jonah asked.

"The week, it was a bit of a spur of the moment thing, but Sam insisted we all spend family time together." Lara said.

Sam huffed, raising her glass. "Damn right." she said, taking a long sip.

Jonah chuckled. "Well, if you don't mind taking a hike when you got the time, I'm staying just down in Hanalei."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Lara said.

Nero nodded along with his mother, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the blonde woman at the bar looking at him. He furrowed his brow, and she only smiled before tipping back her drink and leaving the cafeteria. Nero clenched his right hand, a bit more on edge than he was before.

* * *

Lara practically devoured her dinner, and now she laid on her bed, too lazy to change her clothes or slip under the covers. It was only the first day, but Sam managed to cram in both a walk through a botanical garden and horse back riding. Nero's horse refused to obey him, and tried to nip on his hair. His expression had been worth it when Sam caught it on camera.

Tomorrow was likely to be just as exhausting, but Lara found herself looking forward to it. Just like everything else she did with Sam was. Lara turned over onto her side, the last rays of the sun disappearing beyond the town. Lara adjusted her jade pendant so it wasn't poking her in the collar, before she paused.

It was faint, but a door opened across the hall. She swung to her feet, and peered out the peephole. A flash of white hair streaked by her sight, but what caught her real interest was Nero hauling a long, white rectangular box over his shoulder.

_'He brought a telescope?'_' Lara thought, a bit amused. Since the stars were clearer out here, she doubted Sam would have been angry Nero wanted to gaze at the night sky. Lara debated leaving Nero to his own devices, but it _was_ dark out now, and sixteen or not, he was still her little boy.

Lara retied her hair back, and snuck out the door after him. Her son was so focused on being sure there was no one around in front of him, he forgot to glance back. Which made it ridiculously easy for her to keep up with him. She did though raise a brow at how far he was going from the inn, making his way into the forest. '_Don't tell me he snuck fireworks onto the plane instead_' she thought, keeping watch behind a tree.

What he pulled out of the box though was infinitely more dangerous than a single firework. It was Red Queen and Blue Rose. He slipped the gun into his belt loop, before examining the sword, hand on the revolver handle. Nero staggered a bit under the weight of the sword, which would have been funny if Lara didn't feel the need to question why he brought those with him.

If he wanted to practice, didn't he know to use the gym in their home, or rent out something? Was he afraid Lara would take his eagerness to learn how to use these weapons as deciding to throw his life away? She made peace with the fact of Dante's rather morbid assertion Nero couldn't _just_ keep away from demons his whole life, how he'd been lucky due to his demon blood being dormant until his arm changed.

Nero swung the blade, holding it tight in his left hand but his footing uncertain. He stabbed the end into the ground, taking a deep breath before he turned the handle. It _revved_ and Lara gasped in disbelief. The sound of it drowned her out, and Nero winced.

"Okay, need to get Nico to fix the engine. It's way too loud." he muttered, eyes narrowed as he examined it.

Oh, this wasn't _just_ practice. It was a test run. Though it eluded her why he thought he needed to hide it-wait, that's right. Normal family time. And 'practice with demon killing weapons' didn't quite make the cut yet for 'normal'. Lara rubbed her brow, and watched as Nero gathered a chunk of wood from a fallen tree. He set it a distance away, and aimed Blue Rose. Both barrels gleamed, and Nero flinched from the recoil.

"And definitely need that worked on." he said, shaking his head.

Lara sighed, and cleared her throat. Nero froze, and he was about to raise the gun before he saw her, his expression both uneasy and indignant. "Before you say anything, I only followed because you were obvious about it."

Nero snorted, lowering the weapon. "Can't get anything by you, huh?" he glanced at Red Queen. "Are you going to tell Sam about this? I know how much this vacation meant to her, and I didn't want to bring it up, but there wasn't any other time to test it."

"Well, it's not like I can say I'm a stickler for rules." Lara said, rubbing the pendant between her fingers thoughtfully. "I probably would have gotten 'lost' during a hike near some old ruins."

"Right, because those are super easy to stumble upon." Nero snorted, but held out his gun. "Do you want to check it out then?"

"Yes, excellent craftsmanship." Lara said, turning the pistol in her hands.

"Don't tell Nico, I think she'll get a bigger head over her 'masterpieces.'" Nero retorted.

Lara smiled, a touch bemused. It was, perhaps a bit of a faux pas on her part to ask about the girl's family so soon after meeting her, but Lara had been curious about where Rock (her adoptive father/uncle, as it surprisingly turned out) learned about gunsmithing from. The girl had been all too eager to talk about her 'grandmother' Nell.

"I think if you told her she crafted weapons like her grandmother her ego would grow." Lara said dryly.

Nero laughed shortly. "I think only Dante could attest to that, since he apparently knew her." Lara raised a brow, and Nero shrugged. "He's the one who told me where to find Rock."

"I was wondering about that." Lara quipped. She tilted her head. "Two gun barrels? And an engine sword?"

Nero blushed, and Lara resisted pinching his cheek. "It gives Blue Rose more of a punch, one bullet to crack the demon hide, the other to pump 'em full of lead." he explained, and leaned against his sword. "This though, is something I've been thinking about for a while; it's called 'Exceed' and I really didn't think Nico would be able to pull it off."

"And what does it do, exactly?" Lara asked.

Nero was about to speak, but with the darkness of night, his arm glowed through the bandages around his demon arm. His jaw snapped closed, and he dragged Red Queen with him to Lara's side, gazing about. "This happened during the museum, I think there's a demon around."

A shadow passed overhead, and Nero tensed up as a woman with long blonde hair landed in the tree across from them. She stared down at them through dark sunglasses. "Your arm just really takes the fun out of this."

Nero scowled. "You're that woman from the bar. I knew there was something weird about you. What do you want?"

"I think this should be enough of an answer." The blonde shot her hand out, and a wave of electricity scorched the ground at Nero's feet.

Lara gritted her teeth, and raised Blue Rose to fire. The recoil was more than a shotgun, but it was only knowing how to use a pistol she braced herself for the backlash. _'Of all times to forget my own guns._' she thought, her arms aching, but she wasn't exactly expecting a demon to interrupt their trip.

A demon which jumped to avoid the bullets hitting the tree, blowing off the top and sending it crashing to the ground. The blonde observed the damaged trunk. "That might have actually hurt." she drawled.

Nero tensed. "Then let's see how tough you are against _this_!" he revved the handle of Red Queen in three quick successions, and Lara was alarmed by the fluid which gushed down the blade.

Her eyes widened when Nero charged, and fire sparked from the sword with each strike of Red Queen at the demon, who just as casually dodged each blow. Nero slammed the sword onto the ground and Lara felt the earth shake beneath her. The blonde was unfazed, and took the opening to roundhouse kick Nero.

The force sent him crashing back to Lara's feet, and she pulled him up. "Was that supposed to be on fire?"

Nero grimaced, shaking his left hand while the bandage around his right were scorched, showing the scaly texture beneath. "Yeah, but she wasn't supposed to dodge it."

"Oh I'm sorry, but pardon me if I don't feel like being barbequed." The blonde said dryly. "But if this is what Dante's been teaching you, he must not be as good a teacher as a demon slayer."

Lara's insides twisted, and she trained Blue Rose on the woman as Nero scowled. "Who are you? A demon with a grudge against Dante?" she asked tersely.

The blonde hummed, before removing her glasses. Nero stiffened completely. "I wouldn't say that exactly."

"You-you're the woman Dante keeps a picture of on his desk." Nero said incredulously.

Something crossed the woman's face at that, before she scoffed. "Try again, kiddo. My name's Trish."

Lara narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How we do know you're not just trying to lull us into a false sense of security?"

It took a blink of an eye, before Lara felt the press of something cool against the back of her neck. The blonde was gone, and Lara glanced out through the corner of her eye to see the demon smiling behind her.

"If I were really serious about killing you both, we wouldn't even be having this discussion." she said.

"You know, the old man never said how much you liked to screw with people." Nero muttered. "Do you just like picking fights for fun or something?"

"Like Dante's any better." Trish said, putting her gun away. Lara's shoulders eased. She didn't like being snuck up, but the woman was right. "Though I am touched he talks about me."

"Not really, he just says you crash at his place and don't pay rent." Nero retorted. Trish shrugged, but Nero furrowed his brow. "Why didn't you just tell us who you were instead of attacking me?"

"I wanted to see how strong you were." Trish said bluntly. "You are, in every sense of the word, still a baby demon."

Nero's cheeks puffed out. "I'm sixteen." he said indignantly. "I can almost drive!"

"If you don't mind me asking," Lara cut in, feeling this was a bit surreal, "but why are you here?"

"I was just finishing up a job and was heading through town. I decided to treat myself when I saw you checking into the inn." Trish explained.

"And decided to follow us than talk." Nero muttered.

"I was...assessing the situation." Trish replied. "Like how your weapons need some work done, and you need to build your upper body strength." She poked Nero's shoulder, and he glowered at her. "You could barely hold your sword."

"If I brougt out Yamato things would be different." Nero retorted.

"Before anyone starts thinking of a rematch," Lara said swiftly, because she could see where Nero's thoughts were headed from the look on his face, "can we please save it for _after_ the vacation?" She reached down and grabbed Nero's right wrist, the marks still glowing. "You don't want to run out of bandages or explain to Sam where these burns came from, do you?"

"I still need to finish testing out Red Queen and Blue Rose." Nero said mutinously.

"And you saw what they could do." Lara said, before she paused and narrowed her eyes. "Please tell me your gun isn't supposed to shoot flaming bullets too."

"No way, all that gun powder would probably explode the thing in my face at the first bullet, let alone the second." Nero replied. His shoulders sank, frowning. "I guess I can hold off for the rest of the time, but once we're back in England I want a rem-_hey_, where'd she go?"

Lara glanced around, but could see no sign of the woman was still alive. Nero's arm having stopped glowing gave it away she likely left while they were talking. His expression though turned flushed and angry when he collected Red Queen. On the blade, in red lipstick and cursive were the words 'Better luck next time.'

* * *

"What's the matter with you too? I let you sleep in and you're both still tired." Sam said, her expression both annoyed and concerned. "Was there jet lag? Are you two catching a cold from the rapid temperature change?"

Lara drank a strong cup of coffee, trying to wake herself up. Nero almost fell asleep in his breakfast before Lara pulled the plate away and he laid his head on the table. "I think it might be jet lag." she said. "Nero hasn't travelled a lot, and I didn't get much sleep on the flight over."

Sam tilted her head, arms crossed as she sighed. "Well, hopefully you'll be awake for all the things I have planned today."

"Hurray." Nero muttered. "Is the last day going to be an all-day sleepathon?"

Sam snorted. "Heck no, that's how you get bedsores." she shuddered. "Nero, eat something before we head out. We're going zip-lining and I don't want you falling asleep out there."

Lara smiled as he grimaced, and she stroked his hair. Perhaps she should have been a bit more careful of how long they'd been out in the forest while Nero finished his test run after Trish left. She caught sight of the manager coming up to their table, his brows furrowed. "Yes, is there a problem?"

"Ah, no ma'am, but we were told to give this to you." The manager said. "A blonde woman came by this morning, and said to forward it."

Lara's lips pursed as Nero twisted around in his seat, craning his neck as she opened the letter to read over her shoulder. It was a bill, cost for damages in using 'excess of force in waste disposal'. Lara raised her brows, finding that at least Trish hadn't made the bill to _her_. Rather, she was letting them be the messenger to give it to Dante.

Nero whistled quietly. "If there's that much property damage involved, no wonder the old man's always in debt."

Sam leaned her elbow on the table, palm resting on her cheek. "Let me guess, it can't wait?"

Lara exchanged a glance with Nero, who smiled as he grabbed his plate and began eating. Lara neatly folded the paper and slipped it into her pocket. "Actually, I think it can. This is, after all, our family time."

* * *

**A/N: Whether anyone reads this, this is a special announcement. The next actual oneshot is going to be delayed, because I've been working a side story, which is, while I can't say a lot, going to be Lara taking Nero on a job with her. The fact I'm making it multi-chapters should speak for itself.**


	10. The End of the Beginning

"I can see Nero not wanting to stay in London and for everyone to think you're the reason he got into one of the universities, but does he really need to leave the _country_?"

Nero wondered if Sam even cared he could hear her. She was just down the hall with his mother, who was taking this with the grace he'd always expected of her. He slung the last bag over his shoulder, it was filled with the carry-on items he'd be taking with him on the flight. Everything else was being shipped to his dorm in Toronto - he was pretty sure it should be arriving there by now unless it got held up in customs.

Something gripped him tight in his chest as he stared at his room. The only thing left was the bed, everything else he'd taken down to bring with him. He stared at the space where the photos of him and his family used to sit, and how those pictures were likely going to be the first thing he set up once he got settled in.

"Already too late now," Nero said, forcing himself to leave his room, "tuition's been paid and I'm not giving up the dorm I got - it's the only place which has parking spots big enough for a van."

"While I can't believe the first car you bought when you got your license was a van, what I find even more baffling is why you're taking Nico along with you." Lara said with a raised brow.

Nero ducked his head, shrugging one shoulder. "I figured this would be a real way to pay her back for getting Red Queen and Blue Rose functioning well as they do."

And Nico had agreed to be his devil hunting support whenever Nero got wind of demons causing trouble. Canada might have a stereotype for politeness, but he doubted their demons worked the same way.

"You do have a single bedroom dorm, right?" Sam asked, brows knitted together.

Nero blushed, glowering at her. "For the last time, Nico and I are not a couple! She'd kick my ass for even bringing it up."

"Just remember, you're not allowed to date until you're twenty-five." Sam said.

Nero rolled his eyes, but smiled a little despite himself. He doubted he was going to be having much of a social life anyway. "So I guess me taking your cousin on a date is just something we're gonna let slip by?"

Sam huffed, crossing her arms. "Hey, I already told you; I had no idea that's why she wanted to come see me and only found out after the sneak texted me about it."

"If it's any consolation, I didn't have a very good time." Nero said placatingly. Honestly though, Sam's cousin was more tolerable to him than Dante's tagalong. He smiled a bit wider when Sam beamed back at him.

"Just try to call whenever you get the time." Lara said, and wrapped her arms around him.

Nero hugged her back. If he were a petty newly turned adult, he might have brought up that it was usually _him_ who always said that, of how reversed this whole thing was. "I'll try, but not sure with how much homework and assignments I'll probably get."

"Oh, I'm sure it'll take up quite a good deal of your time." Lara replied dryly.

Nero snorted, but his grip tightened just a little bit more. A heavy weight settled in his chest. This was really happening. He let the bag slip from his shoulder, and brought Sam into the hug as well. She hung onto him with the grip of a vice. "I'm gonna miss you both, but I'll try to make it home for the holidays."

"You'd better." Sam said, her voice cracking with emotion. "An ocean isn't going to stop me from dragging you back to see us."

Nero laughed, just because he wasn't sure if Sam was actually serious about that or not. "Alright, I promise I'll _really_ try then." he said, and Sam snorted, punching his shoulder lightly.

Lara sniffed, her eyes glistening as she pulled back and cupped his cheek. "Don't be afraid to use that credit card, okay? I want you to have enough food and supplies to last, I remember how late nights can get."

Nero leaned into the touch, closing his eyes for a moment. "I will." his hand came to clutch the pendant around his neck, the jade trinket his mother had give him. It still amazed him she would give him something so valuable to him. "I...I better get going," he said, reluctantly pulling away, "Nico's probably going to start honking at me to hurry up." Not a moment later, a sharp blare echoed outside. "See?"

Lara laughed softly, and leaned up to kiss his forehead. She smiled when Nero grimaced and looked away embarrassed. "Have a safe flight."

"And call us when you get there, no matter what time it is." Sam added.

Nero nodded, and they followed him down to the lobby. He hesitated once he reached for the door handle, glancing back at Lara and Sam, then at everything else. This was home, he'd grown up here and now he was really leaving. _'I can't believe I'm doing this.'_ he thought, a bit dazed from the reality settling in.

Nero breathed in deeply, managing to smile as he walked out. He waved behind him until he climbed into the passenger seat of his van, Nico behind the wheel. He kept the window down, because she already lit up a cigarette. "Tell me you're not going to smoke all the way to the airport."

"Can't smoke on the plane, gettin' it all done now." Nico said, and blew out a waft of smoke. "Especially since you won't let us take your fancy private jet."

"For the last time, that's my mom's jet and I wouldn't let you smoke there either." Nero grumbled, waving his hand to clear the air.

"Not even to go on a little joyride?"

"Let's just go." Nero leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. He caught sight of his mother and Sam at the doorway of the manor, and he returned their wave before he was slammed back against the seat as Nico sharply turned the van and peeled out of the estate. "Where did you learn to drive?!"

"Through practice!" Nico shouted.

Nero grabbed a hold of the door, gazing out as cars honked at them. "Slow down, we're not gonna miss the plane. Besides," he paused, and sighed warily, "we got one last stop to make."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Nero asked opening the door to the agency. He narrowed his eyes at the teenage girl cleaning up.

Patty huffed, her arms full of pizza boxes. "I should be asking you the same question."

Nico glanced around the messy interior, her excitement barely contained once she realized where Nero wanted to go. "Where's Dante?"

Patty blinked, furrowing her brow before glancing at Nero. "Is this your girlfriend?"

"No!" Nero visibly recoiled while Nico snorted, "As if!"

"Good, you could do so much better." Patty said to Nico, while Nero rolled his eyes.

"She just asked you where the old man was, that was not an excuse to rag on me." he said.

"Well he's not here. He left for a job." Patty said, tossing the boxes into a garbage bag. She jerked her thumb to the desk. "Said if you came by that was for you."

Nero raised a brow, and almost dreaded whatever it was his uncle left for him. It was a large item wrapped in paper, with the note attached and in hasty handwriting it said, 'If normal's too boring for ya after all.'

"What it is? Come on, open it!"

Nero batted away the hand Nico was using to shake his shoulder. "I'm hurrying, alright?" he shook his head, and knelt down in front of the object. Deciding to get it over with, Nero grabbed a handful of paper and tore it off. His brows rose until they reached his hairline when the whole thing was revealed to him.

An unlit neon sign in the shape of the words 'Devil May Cry'.

Nero stared at the thing, not knowing whether to do either what the sign said or laugh incredulously. Instead, he shook his head with a half-irritated, half-fond smirk. "The old man probably just didn't want to give this to me in person. Have to admit he likes me hanging around or something."

"We are so putting this up on the van, it's gonna look real good on the side." Nico said.

Nero scoffed. "We're not putting anything anywhere until we get to Toronto." he still lifted the sign under his arm though, but a thought came to him and he smirked as he turned the note over.

Finding a pen, Nero wrote down, 'Better watch out, or I'll be taking the shop next than just the name, old man.'

"Alright, now we can go."

* * *

**A/N: This series has been fun to write, but I think at this time a natural progression has been reached. I'm not saying this is done, just this series is for the time being. I was going to get into the DMC5 stuff, but I decided to leave this series off on something really sweet, than bittersweet. I may do something for what that game provides, maybe in another short story.**

***shifty eyes* Or who knows, maybe down the line someone else may try out the same idea and give it a go. That would actually be pretty awesome. Until next time!**


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